


The Angel and the Serpent

by Zorak23



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Department of Mysteries (Harry Potter), EAD, EAD2021, Evil Author Day, Evil Author Day 2021, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Preview of Upcoming Works, Rating May Change, Ride the Elephants, Snakes, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, Unfinished, WIP, You can’t un-ride an elephant, no update schedule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29475432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zorak23/pseuds/Zorak23
Summary: Harry is rescued from an abusive home at a young age. His new mother works for the Department of Mysteries, and Department children are always...different.
Relationships: Luna Lovegood/Harry Potter, Pandora Lovegood/Xenophilius Lovegood
Comments: 44
Kudos: 87
Collections: Evil Author Musings





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Evil Author's Day! Please enjoy this sneak peek of what I occasionally work on. This is unfinished, and has no update schedule. 
> 
> As always, Black Lives Matter and trans rights are human rights. 
> 
> AlphaBeta Love: AmbiguousGoldfish/JacqP. Manip by LumosLyra. All mistakes are my own, as I’ve completely changed things since it was last looked over.

**12 April 1986**

“Daddy, do you really think we’ll find one here?”

“Well, my sweet moon, Little Whinging seems much more likely than Greater Whinging for the Umgubular Slashkilter to make its home, now doesn’t it?”

A small, messy haired boy silently watched the strangely dressed pair from beneath the bush he’d been hiding under. His cousin and his friends had been playing another round of Harry Hunting, and he’d finally given them the slip not fifteen minutes earlier. His arm was throbbing painfully from where they’d twisted it behind him, and his back ached from the beating he’d received the week before. His temperature was rising, fever racing through the small body in effort to fight off the infection festering in the broken skin where he’d been whipped with his uncle’s belt. Still, he kept quiet, not wanting to disturb the odd people in the park, who appeared to be searching for… something he’d never heard of before. 

He studied the strange pair. The man was tall and thin, with long blonde hair, much longer than Aunt Petunia would say is proper. And he was wearing the strangest clothes. Pale green, and somehow a cross between a dressing gown and a ladies dress, yet the boy could still tell it was meant for a man. The small girl with him seemed to be about the boy’s size, and had dirty blonde curls that fell in a tangle past her waist. She skipped along side the man in a dress of light blue, with rainbow striped tights and dark green wellies. The boy thought she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. 

As his fever rose, dizziness set in, causing the boy to shift. The odd pair took notice of the sound and turned in his direction. 

“Shh, Luna, over here,” the man said. The two crept closer to the bush the boy was hiding in. The small child tried desperately to make himself smaller, to not be noticed, not be found, when suddenly the branches parted and a beautiful, smiling face appeared above him. 

“Are you an angel?” the boy asked, then promptly passed out.

* * *

Harry awoke to the feeling of something cool on his face. It felt so lovely that he assumed he was still dreaming, and so did not open his eyes. He was laying on something soft, too; this was definitely a dream. 

“You can open your eyes, you know. You’re not asleep anymore,” came a sweet voice. 

“‘Course I’m asleep. I’m in a soft bed, and I don’t hurt. I have to be dreaming,” Harry replied. 

He heard a tiny giggle that was somehow tinged with sadness. “Daddy and I found you in the bushes, and you were sick and hurt, so we took you home and Mummy healed you. You’re in my bed. I’m supposed to get them when you wake up.”

Harry cracked one eye open. “You’re my angel!”

“I’m not an angel, silly, and you’re not an Umgubular Slashkilter. I’m a girl and you’re a boy and we might be friends. I’m not sure about the friends part, though, to be honest. I’ve never had a friend before.” 

“I’ve never had a friend before either,” Harry said as he sat up, unconcerned with the words he didn’t know in his angel’s speech.

“Then we should be friends, don’t you think?” the girl asked. Harry nodded immediately, and she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I think the first part to being friends might be to know each other’s names. What do you think?”

Harry grinned slightly. “I think you might be right.”

His angel held out her hand. “I’m Luna Lovegood, and you’re at my house in Ottery St Catchpole. It’s quite a long way from your bush, so I thought you might like to know.”

Harry solemnly shook Luna’s hand. “I’m Harry Potter, and I live in Little Whinging, but in a house, not a bush. I was hiding.”

“Were you really?” Luna asked, and he nodded once again. “From the Umgubular Slashkilters?” She climbed onto the bed next to him and sat cross-legged, facing him. 

Confused, he replied, “No, from my cousin and his friends. They were playing Harry Hunting, and had already caught me once. That’s how my arm got hurt.”

Luna’s eyes seemed to look deep inside him as she said, “That doesn’t seem like a very fun game.”

Harry sighed and looked away. “It’s not, really. For me, I mean. Dudley and his lot seem to enjoy it, but if I can’t keep away from them long enough, I always get hurt.”

“Is that what happened to your back?” his angel wanted to know. 

“Oh no, that was…” He trailed off for a moment, picking at the blanket that was covering his legs. “I’m not supposed to talk about that.”

“Why not?” came the curious reply. Harry risked a glance up at Luna, and, seeing no censure in her face, decided to answer. 

“Because it will be worse when I go home if I tell,” he whispered. 

“Then why would you ever go home?” she whispered back.

* * *

“We can’t just keep Harry Potter, my love. You know I don’t care for politics, but even _I_ know he’s been hidden away to keep him safe!” Xenophilius told his furious wife as she paced the kitchen of the Rookery. 

“Safe? _Safe?!”_ Pandora replied, hissing out the words. They'd overheard the children's conversation through the baby monitoring charm Pandora had reactivated when they placed the injured boy in Luna’s room, and she was incensed at what they’d learned. “That child isn’t _safe_ with those appalling muggles, and I _will NOT_ see him back there, Xeno!” 

Xenophilius watched as flames flickered over his precious wife’s hands, a sure sign her magic was just as infuriated as she was. “Muggles have… committees or something regarding lost children, I believe. When I said we couldn’t keep him, I meant we _couldn’t_ keep him. We wouldn’t be allowed.”

“Tell me _exactly_ where you found him, Xeno. I’ll arrange everything.”

With a final look at the expression on his wife’s face, Xenophilius let his last protestations die before voicing them. He cleared his throat, and simply said, “Yes, my love.”

* * *

Harry looked up in fear when the bedroom door opened. Luna glanced over her shoulder, then turned back to the frightened boy with a smile. “Don’t worry, Harry. It’s just Mummy, see? She’s come to bring you some soup. Aren’t you hungry?”

Harry scrambled back from the intruder, pressing himself into the corner made by the headboard of the bed and the wall against which the bed had been placed. Pandora’s heart broke a bit further when she saw the child trying desperately to make himself small and unnoticeable. She gently laid the tray of food on the dresser, then backed slowly towards the doorway, hands up and splayed, trying to show that she meant no harm. 

“Little Moon, perhaps you could ask your friend what his address is? I need to go and speak with the… people he lives with; they need to be informed that he will never be returning there, and that he will be safe and unharmed here with us,” Pandora said quietly, her soft, silvery eyes never leaving the cowering boy’s face. 

Luna looked at her mother for a moment, then, as if a silent question had been answered, smiled and nodded. “Harry, what is your old address?”

Eyes darting between his angel and the older version of her, the one he wanted to like because she seemed so soft and nice and very much unlike Aunt Petunia but still was a grown up and therefore not entirely to be trusted, Harry whispered, “Number four, Privet Drive.”

“Well done, Harry,” Pandora murmured, then gave him a kind smile and swept from the room. 

After a moment, Harry asked, “What did you mean my _old_ address?”

“Hmm?” Luna replied as she picked up the tray of food and brought it to the bed. She lifted the spoon and began feeding the boy small mouthfuls, making him grin. 

“It’s just my address, I mean. It’s not my old address, it’s just my address.” He had to stop speaking when a piece of crusty brown bread was fed to him. 

“It’s your _old_ address. You live with us now. Mummy won’t let you go back to people who are hurting you; that’s why she needs to go visit them. She’s quite angry with them, but not at you. Never at Harry, and never at Luna. Mummy loves us, you see.”

“She does?” Harry asked in wonder. “But… but she just met me, how could she love me?” he wanted to know. “She doesn’t know I’m a freak yet. Sometimes… sometimes I make things happen…” he whispered the last part to his angel, confident she’d understand but still unwilling to fully say it aloud. 

Luna scrunched up her nose. “That’s just your magic, silly. It’s called accidental until you get a wand. Then you’ll learn how to use it better.”

Harry’s eyes widened even as another spoonful of soup made its way into his mouth. “That’s a bad word,” he said, once he had swallowed. “You shouldn’t say… _magic,”_ he told her, eyes darting around the room before whispering the last word. 

“Whyever not?” Luna asked, still feeding him as she spoke. “Mummy and I are witches, and you and Daddy are wizards. We can do magic. It’s perfectly normal; not freaky at all.”

Harry chewed on the piece of bread she’d poked into his mouth as he considered her words. “Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn’t do magic; they hated anything to do with freakishness.”

Luna was quiet for a moment. “I don’t think your Aunt and Uncle have magic. They must be muggles. And not very nice ones, either. I’m glad you live with us now, Harry. You shouldn’t have to be hurt just for being you.”

Both children were quiet for a bit while Harry processed this information. Luna continued to feed him spoonfuls of soup and bits of bread, until he’d eaten everything on the tray. Luna silently handed him a glass of chilled pumpkin juice and a small bottle filled with a swirling blue liquid. 

“Mummy makes the best potions. This one will help you not hurt anymore, and it tastes like a spring rainstorm.”

Harry nodded, simply accepting his angel’s words rather than questioning the strange substance, and drank it down in one gulp. His eyes lit up and he grinned as he said, “Hey, it _does_ taste like a spring rainstorm!”

Luna cocked her head to the side and regarded him curiously. “I know.”

Once Harry had drank all the pumpkin juice and set the glass back on the tray, he asked Luna, “Er, so if your Mummy makes it so I don’t have to go home anymore, and I live here now, well, does… does that mean your Mummy and Daddy will be _my_ Mummy and Daddy, too? Only, I’ve never had a Mummy and Daddy before; just an Aunt and Uncle, you see…”

“I _think_ that’s how it works,” Luna said thoughtfully, tapping her finger against her chin. “We should ask when Mummy gets back to be sure, though.”

“Would that make me your brother?” Harry questioned. 

Luna considered this for a moment. “If it’s all the same to you, I think I’d rather have a friend than a brother. There’s a girl over the hill that sometimes plays with me, and she has six older brothers. They’re awfully loud, and sometimes they play mean tricks on each other. I think a friend sounds much nicer than a brother.”

Harry grinned widely at her. “I think that sounds just fine, angel.”

* * *

Pandora Lovegood stepped out from the front door of Number Four, Privet Drive, and dusted her hands off on the skirt of her robes. As horrified as she was at what she’d found in the house, she was pleased that she’d gotten to use one of the newer spells she’d created. Of course, there was no way she’d be able to tell her husband what she’d done; he’d be appalled at the thought of anyone reliving the pain they’d caused others during their dreams every night, no matter how much they might deserve it. Such a gentle soul, her Xeno. Besides, she told herself, the marks from the beatings they dreamt of would slowly fade during the day, and by the time they went to bed again the next night, they’d have completely forgotten they’d been hurt in the first place. 

Once she returned home, she found her husband sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of firewhisky in his hand, tears flowing down his face. “Xeno, whatever has happened?” Pandora asked, rushing to kneel by his side. 

“That boy,” Xenophilius choked out. “What they’ve done to that poor boy. And our sweet moon, my love. You’ve done such a good job in raising her. No, don’t say it was a joint effort,” he cut her off before she could protest. “We both know that everything good in our child has come from you, my love. She’s up there, comforting him, feeding him, making him welcome. She told him that you and I were his Mummy and Daddy now, but that she wasn’t his sister because she’d rather have a friend instead. Neither one of them has ever had a friend before.”

Pandora stood and wrapped her arms around her husband, pressing his head to her chest as he sobbed. “Shh, shh, my darling. If that’s what he needs, then that’s what we’ll be. There were blood wards on his house; I transferred them to the cousin who lived inside. If anyone is monitoring the house, they’ll see nothing amiss. I also modified the memories of his relatives. They think I am a family member who was recently found and wanted the boy, and that they released him into my care. They won’t be able to remember what I looked like, or my name, but they are quite certain that it was done officially.”

“You think of everything, my love,” Xenophilius replied, amazed as always at the sheer brilliance of his beautiful wife. “Do you know, Harry calls Luna his angel? I wonder what type of creature an angel is…”

* * *

As Pandora was making dinner, Luna suddenly flew into the room. “Mummy! Mummy, something is wrong with Harry!”

Casting a quick stasis spell over the stove, Pandora turned to her frantic daughter and scooped her up in her arms. “Whatever do you mean, Little Moon?”

Luna spoke quickly, words tumbling out of her mouth even as her father rushed to their side in concern. “He needed the loo, so I helped him walk to the bathroom, Mummy. He asked me if I was going to stay with him, like he was _surprised_ for some reason, and I told him yes, because I was worried about him. Mummy, he has a _flobberworm_ stuck between his legs!” she wailed, frightened for her first friend and desperate for her Mummy to fix it.

Pandora quickly pressed Luna’s head to her shoulder and met Xenophilius’ eyes. She began to shake with repressed laughter as she rubbed her daughter’s back and attempted to console her. Her husband was less successful and let out a loud snort before succumbing to great guffaws of laughter. 

“My darling girl, how kind you are to be worried about your friend. But I can assure you that he is just fine, and that he _doesn’t_ have a flobberworm stuck between his legs.”

“But Mummy, I _saw_ it!” Luna insisted. 

“And I believe you, Little Moon. It just wasn’t a flobberworm. That’s the difference between boys and girls, you see. Boys have penises, and girls don’t.”

Xenophilius visibly shuddered. “Can’t you call it something else, my love? She’s barely five years old…” he muttered to his wife, getting only a sharp glare in return. 

“There’s no need to make up words for things that already have perfectly good names, Xeno.” Pandora turned her attention back to her daughter. “I’ll get you a book about it, how does that sound, Little Moon? Maybe you and Harry can read it together, so you both know the differences.”

Luna frowned at her mother. “You’re _sure_ he’s alright?”

Pandora smiled gently at the tiny girl in her arms. “Quite sure, darling.”

Luna turned her luminous eyes towards her father. “Daddy, you’re a boy. Do _you_ have a penis, too?” 

Xenophilius paled slightly, but managed to answer calmly, “Yes, my sweet moon. Daddy has a penis, too.”

Luna clapped her hands together and grinned. “Can I see it?” she asked excitedly. 

Her father’s jaw dropped open and his face turned a most curious color before he shouted out, “Certainly not!” and ran from the room. 

Pandora slid down the side of the counter she’d been leaning against, still holding Luna in her arms, as she was laughing too hard for her legs to support her. “Oh my Little Moon, please, _please_ never ever change.”

* * *

Luna crept back into her bedroom, looking for Harry. She hadn’t found him in the loo, so she assumed he’d gone back to bed. When she didn’t find him there, she looked around her room, wondering where he’d gone. She looked under the bed, in the dresser drawers, and finally opened the cupboard door, where she saw his small form curled into a ball in the back corner of the cupboard. He’d pulled one of her winter cloaks down from the rack and appeared to be hiding under it. 

Luna crawled into the cupboard and under the cloak with him. “Hello, Harry. Are we playing a game?”

Harry wiped away tears and said, “I don’t think so.”

“Then why are we in the cupboard?”

“Because I did something freaky and you ran away from me,” he answered pitifully. 

Luna sat back a bit and considered his statement. “What did you do that was freaky?”

“I don’t know, angel. That’s the worst part. I don’t even know what I did wrong to make you run away from me, but I’m very sorry for whatever it was.”

Luna flushed a bit. “That wasn’t your fault, Harry. I just didn’t know what a penis was and I thought you were being hurt.”

Harry looked at her in shock. “How do you not know what a willy is?”

“Willy? Is that another word for penis?” Luna asked curiously. 

“Er, yeah,” Harry replied. This was the strangest conversation he’d ever had. 

“Mummy said that’s the difference between boys and girls. Boys have a willy, and girls don’t. But she also said that we shouldn’t make up words for things that already have perfectly good names, so maybe we should say penis instead of willy. Is that alright with you?”

“That makes sense… wait. You mean you _don’t_ have a wil— a penis?” Harry replied, utterly confused now. 

Luna shrugged. “Mummy said she’ll get us a book about it. Daddy seemed really upset when I asked to see his penis, though. Maybe if you don’t have one, you should only look at them in books.”

“Alright,” Harry said, rather bewildered. “So you’re not mad at me?” he asked, still needing confirmation. 

“I was never mad at you, Harry. I just thought you had a flobberworm stuck between your legs. Now come on, let’s get out of the cupboard. Mummy is making dinner, but she said she’ll bring ours to us in my room.” Harry’s angel stood up and reached her hand out to him, grasping his and pulling him to his feet. Harry followed her back towards her bed, and they both climbed on top. Luna spent some time arranging pillows behind the boy’s back and adjusting the colorful quilts over his lap. Harry had no idea what a flobberworm was, but he was very glad he didn’t have one stuck between his legs all the same.

* * *

**28 April 1986**

It had been just over two weeks since Harry had come into their lives, and Pandora was thrilled to see that the frail boy no longer seemed surprised to be offered food more than once per day. He was still quite thankful, of course; the poor thing was unfailingly polite. She hoped that one day he wouldn’t fear being punished or sent away for the smallest of infractions, but knew that healing from abuse took time. Harry clung to Luna at nearly all times, still calling her his angel, and it warmed Pandora’s heart to see the way her Little Moon simply accepted his presence in their lives. 

Pandora shook her head as she considered and rejected several different options concerning what had to be done. She’d noticed that while Harry clung to her Little Moon for emotional support, he also seemed to rely on her to tell him what was going on around him, as well. And with the way he would stumble over things… she was certain the child could barely see. 

Coming to a decision, she threw a handful of glittery powder into the fireplace and stuck her head inside the now green flames. Calling out to her one-time boss, she requested a meeting. Shortly before the man was to arrive, Pandora sent the children out to gather vegetables from the garden for dinner. A quick mention of seeing Blibbering Humdingers earlier in the day ensured that they’d be occupied for at least a couple hours. She sent a silent apology to her dear husband for abusing his passion for creatures in such a way, then turned to welcome her guest as he stepped through the Floo. 

“Pandora! Lovely to see you, my dear. Are you finally ready to come back to work?” Saul Croaker asked, pulling back the hood of his Unspeakable cloak before leaning in to kiss her cheek. 

“No, Saul, I’m sorry to say I am not,” Pandora replied with a grin for her grizzled former supervisor. “Before I begin, I need to know; am I still covered by the Department of Mysteries oath?”

Saul blinked in surprise. “Why yes, dear. You know this; no knowledge of the workings of the Department are allowed to be known, even after one’s employment has ended. The oath is permanently binding.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” She fluttered a hand at him, directing him to a seat in the cozy sitting room. “I meant, is what I tell you _now_ still covered?”

Saul froze, halfway to a sitting position in his chair. “What level, Pandora?” he asked sharply. 

“Seven,” she whispered. 

Saul sank slowly into his seat. “Tell me everything.”

* * *

“…and he’s so scared all the time, Saul. Even if I had legal custody, I can’t take him out in public. He barely trusts _us_ at this point; I couldn’t force him to go to St Mungos. Luna is the only one he’s comfortable with at all. He calls her his angel. When Xeno asked what an angel was, he said they’re the muggle god’s messengers and that they’re always surrounded by a golden halo, just like Luna is. Xeno thought he was reading her aura, but Saul, the boy can barely _see!_ Of _course_ she would look like a bloody angel to him!”

Pandora was pacing the small room, worry shining forth on her beautiful face. Saul stood and placed his hands on her shoulders, stopping her in her path. “We’ll take care of it. I’ll bring the Department healer here, that way he’s only exposed to one new person for now. She’ll treat his eyes, and anything else he might need. We’ll need to reinstate you, just to keep all our hoops guarded.” Before she could protest, he added, “You’re still spell-crafting, yeah? If you bring me two new spells each quarter, you can work from home. Merlin’s ruddy ballsack, Pandora, there’s level seven and then there’s bloody Harry Potter level seven! I’ll put Feelers out to all departments in the Ministry; any mention of the boy will come straight to us. The Department takes care of its own, my dear. Now that he’s yours, he’s ours as well.” 

Tears filled her pale, silvery eyes as she threw her arms around the older man. Saul chuckled as he patted her back comfortingly, and said, “Tomorrow at noon, I’ll send Rackharrow over. She’s good with kids, shouldn’t scare him too badly.”

“Tell Tensie not to wear her Unspeakable cloak, Saul. Civilian robes, or even muggle clothes if she has them,” Pandora suggested, pulling away from the man she viewed as an unofficial uncle. 

“I shall, dear girl. I shall.”

* * *

**29 April 1986**

“Children, come in here, please,” Pandora called, once she had finished cleaning up after breakfast. “I need to speak with you about something.”

“Coming, Mummy,” she heard Luna call from the next room. Soon two brightly shining faces appeared, freshly scrubbed, and she smiled down at them both as she asked them to have a seat at the table. 

Pandora sat across from the children, and, keeping her voice soft and light, said, “Harry, I have someone coming to visit you today. I understand if you’re nervous, so I want to make it clear that this is a good thing. You’re staying right here with us, forever and for always, no matter what. I just want my friend to have a look at you; she’s a healer, a—,” Pandora paused, searching for the muggle term. “A doctor, and we need to make sure you’re healthy. Would that be alright with you, my darling?” 

Harry had paled during her explanation, gripping Luna’s hand tighter. “It’s alright, Harry. Mummy’s friends are very nice. And sometimes they give sweeties,” Luna informed her friend. 

“Will— will my angel get to stay with me when the doctor comes?” Harry asked hesitantly. 

“Of course, darling. Right by your side, the entire time,” Pandora said with a smile. “I’d imagine that if you do well, you’ll _both_ get sweeties,” she added, hoping to encourage the boy to answer all of Hortensia’s questions. 

Harry quirked a small smile, and nodded his agreement. “Excellent,” Pandora said, and sent them off to play until the Unspeakable healer arrived.

* * *

“He’s terribly myopic,” Hortensia Rackharrow told Pandora once the examination was finished and the children had run off to enjoy their lollies under the Dirigible Plum tree. “I’ll get some spectacles made up and sent over as soon as I can. Keep him on the nutrient potion you were using for now; we’ll reevaluate his needs in that department in a fortnight. Pan, there’s something wrong with his scar.”

Pandora looked up sharply from where she’d been taking notes. “His scar?”

Hortensia nodded. _“The_ scar. It’s a curse scar, so I assumed I would get a reading from it, but Pan. It’s _dark.”_

“It’s a curse scar from an unforgivable, Tensie. Of course it’s reading as dark,” Pandora replied with a roll of her eyes. 

“No,” the soft, round woman replied quietly. “Actively dark.” She held up her hand to forestall whatever Pandora was about say, and hurriedly went on. “It’s not hurting him, not right now, at least. It’s as if it’s… _contained_ somehow, within the scar itself. Once he’s more comfortable with you, with being in the Wizarding world, you’ll have to bring him in to the Department. I can’t do anything about it here, and I’ll need help.”

Pandora dropped her head into her hands. “How long?” she asked. “How long can this wait?”

“If he wasn’t an abused and neglected boy, I’d say it shouldn’t wait at all. Since he is, I’ll say it can wait until he can come to the Department without causing him much more stress than it would any other perfectly happy and healthy child.” She paused, then added, “Any other child without an Unspeakable as a parent. The Department children are always a bit more… accepting,” she said with a laugh. Pandora smiled weakly at her friend, worried for the small boy who had already burrowed his way deep into her heart.

* * *

**17 May 1986**

“Hello Mr Bode and Mr Rookwood,” Luna said brightly from her father’s arms as he stepped through the Floo into the Department of Mysteries. Both men lowered their hoods, the former rolling his eyes and the latter sending a glare towards the girl’s mother, where she was gently setting down a small, fragile-looking boy. 

“What is the point of an Unspeakable hood if the girl can still tell who we are?” Augustus Rookwood growled towards Pandora. 

“Oh hush, Auggie. Not everything is foolproof,” Pandora replied, straightening up from where she’d been setting Harry to rights after his first trip through the Floo. Luna skipped over to Harry’s side and took his hand in her own. 

“How _do_ you always know who we are, my dear?” asked Broderick Bode, crouching down in front of the two children; he knew his unusual height made him appear intimidating to those so much smaller than him. 

Luna looked at him curiously. “You are very tall, but very short. And Mr Rookwood’s arm is always sad,” she said simply. Broderick’s eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline as he turned to stare at Augustus in surprise. 

“She’s very perceptive,” he said to his colleague, who had paled significantly at the small girl’s words. Xenophilius patted the man standing next to him on the back. 

“You do good work now, Auggie. The Wrackspurts are nearly gone. My sweet moon Sees more than most; don’t let it bother you too much.” Accustomed to Pandora’s husband, Augustus nodded in reply. 

Before anyone thought to ask what Luna had meant about Broderick being both tall and short, she exclaimed, “Come on, Harry! Let’s go see where Mummy used to work. Maybe Uncle Saul will have sweeties for us, too!” The adults watched fondly as the children scampered away. 

Xenophilius and Pandora moved to follow their children, but the blonde woman stopped and turned back to her colleagues. “I’m still working on it, Auggie. I’ll get it off your arm if it’s the last thing I do.”

* * *

Saul stepped into Pandora’s old office and grinned slightly when he saw Xenophilius happily colouring with his daughter. He jerked his head towards the door when the man looked up and saw him, and waited until he left the room, shutting the door behind him and casting a silencing charm on the room for good measure. 

“It was a horcrux, Xeno. The boy had part of You-Know-Who’s soul stuck in his scar. Best we can figure, he’d been planning to make one that night, but it went wrong when the Killing Curse rebounded.”

“How is he? How’s Harry? Is he alright? Did you get it out?” Xenophilius demanded, unaware that he’d grasped the front of Saul’s shirt and was fairly shaking the man. 

Saul patted the man’s hands, then gently prised them off his person. “He’s fine, he’s fine. He’s asleep for now; Tensie is with him. She won’t leave his side until he awakes. Pandora is in the containment room; she had some… anger to work out.”

Xenophilius relaxed slightly and said, “Send me the bill for whatever she destroyed before you got her there.” Saul waved a negligent hand, dismissing the need entirely, and Xenophilius nodded his thanks before asking, “Did you get it all? The horcrux, I mean. Is it out of the poor child entirely?”

“Completely,” Saul confirmed. “We had to transfer it to another object, and had planned on studying it further, but Rookwood…” Saul trailed off for a moment, remembering the man’s rage at finding out his former master was still present in any form. He took a deep breath and went on. “Auggie wouldn’t hear of it. It’s been destroyed. Fiendfyre. You have nothing to worry about.”

Xenophilius slumped against the wall, and Saul patted his shoulder. “I should tell you, you now have legal custody of the boy in the muggle world, Xeno. We left him with the name Potter, but he’s officially yours. No one can take him away from you now.” At that, Xenophilius lost the little strength he had left in his legs and slid to the floor in tears. Saul smiled softly at the man, handed him a handkerchief, and gave him the privacy to show his relief.

* * *

**31 July 1986**

“Harry Potter, you listen to me right now!” Luna shouted, stomping her foot for emphasis. “You are _not_ a freak, it _is_ your birthday, you _do_ get presents, and we _will_ have cake!”

Harry, Xenophilius, and Pandora all stared at the furious girl, mouths open in shock, Xenophilius holding his fork frozen halfway to his mouth. “Alright, angel. I’m sorry I said freaks don’t deserve birthdays,” Harry said quietly, his green eyes open wide. 

Luna smiled ethereally at her best friend and sat back down at the table. “Thank you, Harry. Do you want to search for Blibbering Humdingers after breakfast?” she asked, her voice once again it’s usual calm tone. 

“Of course, angel,” Harry replied. “Anything you want.”

Xenophilius leaned over to the boy and said in a loud whisper, “Good lad. Sometimes it’s best just to smile, nod, and agree.” He tapped the side of his nose and winked. Harry grinned widely when Pandora’s serviette hit Xenophilius in the side of the head.

* * *

After dinner that night, Harry and Luna were lying under the Dirigible Plum tree, hands linked together. “I think I like having birthdays,” Harry commented. 

Luna smiled serenely. “I knew you would. You’ll have them every year from now on.”

“I will?” Harry asked in wonder.

“Of course,” Luna replied. “I have them, too.”

“Can we have yours tomorrow?” Harry asked excitedly, leaning up on one arm to peer down at his angel’s face. 

“No, mine’s in February. We have to wait. But you get to be older than me until then, so that makes it alright to wait.”

Harry laid back down, content with her reply. 

“Did you like your presents, Harry?” Luna wanted to know. 

“Oh yes, angel, very much. I really liked my boy dresses, although I’m glad I got trousers as well.”

Luna giggled. “They aren’t boy dresses, silly. They’re robes. That’s what wizards wear.”

“Oh, I didn’t know they had a name. Will you teach me how to play my Exploding Snap cards tomorrow?”

“Of course, Harry.”

“Angel?”

“Yes, Harry?”

“This was the best first birthday I’ve ever had.”

Luna smiled and rolled over to kiss his cheek. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Evil Author's Day! Please enjoy this sneak peek of what I occasionally work on. This is unfinished, and has no update schedule.
> 
> As always, Black Lives Matter and trans rights are human rights.
> 
> AlphaBeta Love: AmbiguousGoldfish/JacqP. All mistakes are my own, as I’ve completely changed things since it was last looked over.
> 
> Please let me know immediately if I’ve messed up any translations or been unintentionally offensive with Thai culture.

**12 April 1987**

The Lovegoods arrived at the Thai Portkey Office in Bangkok, and, once through customs, grabbed a second Portkey that would take them to their final destination of Chiang Mai. Xenophilius had heard multiple reports of Gulping Plimpy sightings along the banks of the Ping River, and with the Songkran festival happening just after the one-year anniversary of Harry joining their family, they’d decided to make a family vacation out of the trip. 

The children were thrilled by the tuk-tuk that took them to their hotel. Xenophilius had pouted a bit at using a hotel in the first place, but Pandora put her foot down. “It’s a _water_ festival, Xeno. I won’t have the children staying in a wet tent all week. We can camp at the end of the week, but during the festival, I want us in a place with actual _walls.”_

Harry was amazed at all the sights and sounds of Thailand. They passed multiple street vendors on their way to the magical part of the city, and twice he nearly fell out of the tuk-tuk when he leaned out too far in an attempt to get a better view. Pandora ended up placing a sticking charm on his seat to keep him safe, making Luna giggle at the necessity. 

They finally arrived at Wat Chiang Man temple, and made their way to the Chedi Chang Lom within. The entrance to Senthang Chang (Chiang Mai’s version of Diagon Alley) was through the large elephant statue on the southwest corner of the Chedi Chang Lom. As the oldest part of the first temple built in Chiang Mai, this entrance was ideal for the flourishing magical community. 

If Harry was amazed at his first glimpse of Thailand on the ride to the temple, it was nothing compared to his first views of the magical area. Luna was just as amazed as her best friend, and they held hands tightly as they exclaimed over the many different sights. Xenophilius and Pandora watched over them carefully, both reveling in their children’s delight. 

By the time they reached their hotel, Luna was carrying a beautifully painted yellow oil-paper umbrella, and Harry was sporting a new indigo colored mo hom shirt. They were greeted by a beautiful woman in traditional Thai dress who ushered them into the hotel. 

“Welcome to Chang Wethy Mntr,” she said. “I am Apinya. Please let me know if I can be of any help during your stay.”

“If you could just show us our room and let us know where we can get dinner, that would be lovely,” Pandora said tiredly before Xenophilius had a chance to ask about Gulping Plimpies. She loved and respected her husband, but she was hot, tired, and hungry, and knew that the children would be cranky if she didn’t get some food into them soon. Apinya grinned at the blonde woman in complete understanding. She showed them to a beautifully decorated suite of rooms containing two bedrooms with a sitting room between. One bedroom had a large bed covered in white, resting on a low platform. The other had two smaller beds, side by side, also on platforms but this time covered in brightly patterned fabrics. The sitting room was richly appointed with beautiful rugs, detailed wood carvings, and lush furniture. 

Harry and Luna ran all over, inspecting the rooms thoroughly, and Pandora thanked Apinya while Xenophilius set down their bags. In no time at all, the family was on their way to a nearby restaurant for dinner. “Tomorrow we’ll try the street carts, Little Moon. Mummy just needs to sit and relax this evening,” Pandora explained to her daughter when she asked why they hadn’t gotten food at any of the small vendors they’d passed on their way. 

After a delicious dinner of various noodle dishes none of them had heard of before, they decided to visit the magical night market. Their server had mentioned the ‘water wands’ for children that were available for the festival, and Xenophilius was just as excited about them as Harry and Luna were. Pandora was also determined to purchase them all some self-drying clothes for the festival; she didn’t fancy having to charm their clothes dry all day long.

At one of the many vendors who sold water wands, Harry asked, “Mummy? How do the muggles celebrate Songkran? Should we get some water wands for them, so they can play too?”

“Oh my darling, how kind you are. There are thousands and thousands of muggles living in Chiang Mai, though. I don’t think we could get water wands for all of them,” Pandora gently explained, her sparkling eyes filled with laughter as she noticed the young vendor giggling behind her hand. “Perhaps we can ask someone how the muggles do it. What do you think?”

Harry thought for a moment, then agreed. “I think Miss Apinya would know, Mummy. She said to come to her if we had any questions. We can ask when we get back to the hotel!”

“That’s a brilliant plan, my darling. Let’s go see what Daddy and Little Moon have found, alright?”

“Alright, Mummy,” Harry said, excited once again.

* * *

Back at the hotel for the evening, Harry and Luna walked up to the front desk and asked to speak with Apinya. When the woman appeared and they asked her about muggles and Songkran, she led them over to a carved wooden settee with soft cushions and sat down with the family. Apinya explained about the history of Songkran, how muggles celebrated it, and how the magical community had adopted it as their own. 

“Songkran is the start of the new year, even though the year starts in January now, and uses both sidereal and lunar zodiac systems,” Harry recited. 

“And the water festival represents the washing away of one's sins and bad luck through the past year, leaving you purified for the new year,” Luna added. 

“Very good, children,” Apinya praised. “Muggles use buckets of water, hoses, and water pistols during the festival, but we get to use the Aguamenti charm,” she explained. “It’s much easier our way,” she added with a wink. 

“Mummy and Daddy bought us water wands, Miss Apinya!” Harry said excitedly. “Look!” he cried, proudly showing off his new toy. 

“That’s a very nice one, Harry,” Apinya told him. “Did Luna get one, too?” she asked, smiling at the tiny blonde girl. 

“Yes, Miss Apinya,” Luna said, and held out her wand to show the kind woman. “Mummy also got us special clothes so we don’t have to stay wet all day long,” she said. “Daddy said that might be cheating, but Mummy gave him the look that means she’s doing it anyway and Daddy said ‘yes, my love’ and now we have new clothes.”

Apinya snickered softly at the child-like explanation, and made a mental note to tell her great-grandmother about the conversation later on. Yay-yay would enjoy meeting these precious children, but she didn’t speak a word of English. 

“I think it’s time you went to bed, children,” Apinya said. “The festival starts tomorrow; you’ll want to be well rested so you can experience all of it.”

“Yes, Miss Apinya,” they chorused, hopping up off of the sofa and each giving her a hug before rushing off to their rooms. 

‘What I wouldn’t give for just an ounce of their energy,’ she thought fondly to herself as she watched them run off, hand in hand.

* * *

**13 April 1987**

“Happy Songkran, Miss Apinya!” two cheerful voices announced the next morning, and Apinya looked down over the desk to see her two favorite guests. 

“Happy Songkran to you as well, children,” she replied with a smile. “Have you had a good morning so far?”

“Oh yes, ma’am,” Harry replied. “Much better than Mummy and Daddy had,” he added. 

“Oh?” Apinya questioned, more curious than concerned at this point. She knew the breakfast they’d had sent up had been received with no complaints. 

“Daddy woke Mummy up for the new year with water,” Luna told her. “So Mummy commascated his wand until we get outside.”

“I think she said she was contiscating it, angel,” Harry said, but didn’t look entirely certain. “It made Daddy whinge a bit, but Mummy wouldn’t give it back.”

Apinya was holding the edge of the desk, shoulders shaking in silent laughter, when the children’s parents appeared. “I said I was _confiscating_ his wand, and that if Daddy wanted it back he had better be on his best behaviour,” Pandora stated. 

“My love, I was simply—” Xenophilius started to say, but Pandora cut him off. 

“Best. Behaviour. Xeno,” she reiterated with a pointed glare. 

After complimenting the children on their new clothes, a still laughing Apinya sent the family on their way with a list of attractions and festival spots to see. She couldn’t wait to tell Yay-yay more about this family.

* * *

That evening, two tired parents trudged back into the hotel following after their bouncing, happy children. Apinya looked at the adults in smiling sympathy, and said, “If you would like to relax in your room for a while, the children could tell me about their day for an hour or so. I would be happy to bring them to you afterwards.”

“Apinya, you are a goddess among mere mortals,” Xenophilius stated, before escorting his tired wife to the lift. Apinya snickered quietly, then turned to the children. 

“Tell me all about what you saw today,” she said, leading them back to the same settee they’d used the day before. 

“There were people sending water at each other _everywhere,”_ Luna said with excitement. “I’m really glad Mummy made the face and we got these clothes,” she confided to the laughing woman. 

“Our water wands work really well, too,” Harry added, bouncing up and down in his seat. 

“Did you try any new dishes today?” Apinya wanted to know. She was always interested in how foreigners took to Thai cuisine. 

“Oh yes,” Luna said. “We had Panang for lunch, and it was yummy. For dinner we ate Pad Thai, and we had mango and sticky rice for pudding. I love pudding! The street vendors had wards on their carts and around the little tables so we wouldn’t get wet while we ate. It was very helpful,” the girl told her. 

“They had the wards in the shops, as well,” Harry added. “We saw so many things, Miss Apinya! And we got to watch how the water wands are made, and how the paper umbrellas are made, and we went to a park with lots and lots of trees and I talked to a snake, and—”

“You talked to a snake?” Apinya asked in surprise. 

“Yep,” Harry replied. “He was looking for a lizard to eat, so I told him if I found one I’d bring it to him. Then me and Luna—”

“You should say ‘Luna and I,’ Harry,” Luna interjected. 

“Oh, thank you angel. Then Luna and I looked and looked for a lizard, but we didn’t find any. It was odd, though,” he said. “I would have thought the snakes in Thailand wouldn’t be able to speak English.”

Luna shrugged. “Miss Apinya speaks English,” she pointed out. 

“That’s true,” Harry conceded. 

Apinya had been startled by Harry saying he could speak to snakes; Parselmouths were venerated in this part of the world. But her hopes of discovery of one so young were dashed when he said the snake spoke to him in English. It must have been a simple childish fantasy. “Tell me what the snake looked like, please, Harry. Some of the snakes here can be quite dangerous.”

“He was green and black, and jumped from one tree to another! He was so beautiful,” the boy said wistfully. “I wish he would have told me his name.”

Apinya smiled at his expression, and cautioned them to be very careful around any snakes they may come across in Thailand. The trio spoke for a while more before she escorted the children to their rooms. After making sure that their parents knew they had returned, she went back to the lobby and prepared to go home for the evening.

* * *

**14 April 1987**

When the Lovegoods returned from enjoying the festival shortly after one o’clock that afternoon, both of the children were covered head to toe in mud. They walked through the lobby on shuffling feet, heads hung low, followed by their father (who was trying not to laugh) and their mother (who looked both exasperated and exhausted at the same time). 

“Oh my,” Apinya said gently. “Wherever have you been today?” she asked Pandora, who slumped gracelessly onto the settee in the lobby. 

“I’ll get them cleaned up, my love. Just… rest,” Xenophilius said, chuckling as he ushered the abashed children to their rooms. 

Pandora waved her wand negligently and Vanished the mud trail her children left behind on their way to the lift. 

“I’ll get the rest when I go up, Apinya,” she said tiredly. “Just give me a moment.”

“Nonsense,” Apinya replied. “You are a guest. Shall I bring you some tea, perhaps?”

“Honestly, I'd love a glass of elf-made wine if you have it,” she said. Apinya smiled and nodded, walking towards the bar to fetch the requested drink.

When she returned, she handed Pandora the glass and asked, “Would you like to talk about it?”

Pandora groaned. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life. We lost the children. It was only for about ten minutes or so, but they were there one second, and gone the next. Xeno and I lived through a bloody war, Apinya, and _never_ have I felt terror like I did today.” 

Apinya’s heart leapt to her throat at the blonde woman’s words. Even hearing about it second-hand, and seeing for herself that the children were indeed unharmed, all of the countless dangers that could have befallen the two young children flashed through her mind. 

“Oh my! What happened?”

“We were at that statue near the park, the one of the twisted dragon?” Apinya nodded to indicate that she knew exactly where Pandora meant, and so the blonde woman continued. “The children wanted to see the parade, and to watch the ladies competing for Miss Magical Chiang Mai. They liked seeing them with their umbrellas and bicycles. I had pointed at… something, I don’t even remember what, but I’d wanted Xeno to see it. When we turned back, they were simply _gone.”_

Apinya gasped and covered her mouth. Pandora took another sip of her wine, then let her head drop back against the settee and covered her eyes with her arm. “They’d just followed some children into the park, and were playing with their water wands in a large muddy area. There were about six or so other children there, all laughing and playing, getting absolutely filthy and having the best time. It was only for ten minutes, but…”

The dark haired woman gently patted Pandora’s arm. “But you thought your heart had been lost along with them. I understand.”

Pandora smiled gratefully at Apinya. “I’d better go up. There’s no telling what’s happening with Xeno supervising bath time,” she said with a resigned chuckle. 

Apinya stood and said, “I’ll send up a bottle of that wine, along with two glasses. I think you both could use it.”

“Xeno was right; you are a goddess, Apinya.”

* * *

When Pandora got to her rooms, she opened the door to find a now clean yet stark naked Luna sitting at the low table, colouring with marking pens in her colouring book. 

“Little Moon! Where are your clothes?” Pandora asked, surprised at the sight. She glanced around the room for her husband, and heard a snore coming from the direction of their bedroom. She scooped Luna up into her arms, and walked to the bedroom door. Xeno was laying face down on the bed, fully clothed and looking as if he had simply fallen over in exhaustion. She smiled fondly at him and gently shut the door, then turned to carry Luna to the other bedroom in search of clean clothes. 

“Is Harry still in the bath?” Pandora asked Luna, handing her a clean dress to pull on. 

“Yes, Mummy. His snake wouldn’t talk to me, so I decided to colour instead.”

“His snake?” Pandora asked, concentrating more on finding matching socks in her daughter’s bag than on what she was saying. 

“Uh huh. Harry said she was speaking English, but I couldn’t understand either one of them when they were talking.”

“That’s nice, Little Moon. Oh, here’s your other sock! Slip them on, darling girl. Then let’s get Harry out of the bath.”

“Alright, Mummy,” Luna replied, and did as she was bade. She skipped over to the bathroom, followed by her mother, and opened the door. “See, Mummy? That doesn’t sound like English to me—”

Luna squealed as Pandora grabbed the back of her dress and all but threw her away from the door. “Luna, go wake your father. Harry, my darling boy, _don’t move.”_

Both children stared at their mother in shock. _“Luna, now,”_ Pandora insisted. Coiled next to the bathtub was a monocled cobra, head raised and hood flared at the surprise interruption. 

“Harry, please stay as still as possible, like a statue,” Pandora pleaded, trying desperately to convey a sense of calm towards both boy and beast. She wracked her brain, attempting to remember everything she had ever read about cobras, but there was very little information stored save for the knowledge that cobras can be deadly and have the ability to spit venom at both threats and prey. When her husband appeared, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, she said, “Harry, Daddy is going to watch you whilst I get Apinya. Remember, darling boy. Still as a statue,” and then she was gone. 

Arriving in front of the lobby desk with a sudden and silent apparition, Pandora frantically shrieked, “Apinya!” startling several guests who had been milling about. When the smaller woman appeared from behind a closed door behind the desk, Pandora lurched around the counter, grabbed the surprised woman, and apparated them back to her rooms. 

“Snake—Harry—bath—help!” was all the terrified woman could say, but Apinya nodded her understating immediately and rushed to the bathroom door. She was more shocked at what she heard than what she saw when she looked in. 

Harry was sitting as still as he could in the bathtub, but appeared to be _hissing_ softly at the dangerous cobra that was swaying near him. 

Quickly taking stock of the situation, and with a reassuring glance at both of the frantic parents, Apinya said, “Harry, could you ask your friend if it would be alright for me to enter the bathroom, please?”

Harry looked at her in shock. “But Miss Apinya! I’m _naked!”_

Apinya smothered a grin and replied, “I know, but your parents are quite worried about your friend. Remember how I told you that some snakes in Thailand can be dangerous?” Harry nodded, so she continued, “This is one type with a very strong venom. That’s why I wanted you to ask if I could enter the room.”

Harry screwed up his face in confusion, wondering why Miss Apinya wouldn’t ask the snake herself, but dutifully turned his head and hissed at the snake. With a bright smile, he turned back to the kind woman and said, “She said to tell you it’s fine, and she thanks you for asking permission. She doesn’t like it when humans screech at her.”

Slowly making her way into the large bathroom, Apinya sat down on the floor several feet away from the tub and the snake. “There, now you don’t have to worry about me seeing inside your bath,” she said with a small grin. Harry flushed slightly and grinned back at her. 

“What is your friend’s name?” Apinya asked. 

“Suda,” he responded. 

Apinya smiled. “That means lady-like. A very fitting name, for a very beautiful lady,” she replied. “Did you know, Harry, that not very many people have the ability to speak with serpents?”

“They can’t?” Harry asked in surprise. Understanding dawned on his face, and he asked, “Is that because not very many people in Thailand speak English?”

Apinya chuckled at this, and replied, “No, dear one. It’s because snakes don’t speak English, either. They speak Parseltongue. And so do you.”

Harry gave her a sceptical look, then turned to Suda. After hissing for a few moments, he pouted. “Suda is laughing at me, Miss Apinya. She called me a silly speaker.”

Smothering another grin, Apinya said, “Perhaps you could thank Suda for visiting you today, and ask if she needs any help getting out of the hotel. I’m afraid that not many of our guests would be happy to see her, and I wouldn’t want her to be screeched at if she doesn’t like it.”

A few moments later, Suda dipped her head, turned her sleek body around, and slithered out of the bathroom through the open window. Apinya rose to firmly close and latch the frosted pane of glass, and when she turned back Harry had been pulled from the bath by his relieved parents and was being smothered in kisses. 

“Mummy! Daddy! I need a towel!” the blushing boy cried, more worried about the state of his nakedness in front of Apinya than he was by his encounter with the dangerous serpent. The small woman grinned and slipped quietly from the room, giving the family their privacy. 

Soon, a fully dressed little boy emerged from the bathroom, followed by his parents. “Thank you, Miss Apinya,” he recited. “I am sorry if I scared you.”

She smiled at Harry and his obviously prompted words. “You are quite welcome, dear one. You have a very special gift, and it was lovely to see.” Apinya turned to the elder Lovegoods and asked, “Perhaps we should talk?”

Still obviously shaken, they nodded in reply. After sending Harry off to colour with Luna, the three adults sat down in the sitting room to chat. Delicately, Apinya stated, “I understand from my great-grandmother that most Farang fear Parselmouths.”

“Farang?” questioned Xenophilius. 

Apinya flushed, and said, “White people. It is not derogatory, per se, it just means… not Thai.”

Xenophilius nodded in understanding. “Yes, in England, they are not looked upon well. The last known Parselmouth was…”

“The man who started your war,” Apinya said flatly. “We heard about it all the way here in Thailand. Foolish man. Here, Parselmouths are venerated, revered. In many villages, king cobras are called angel snakes. To find one in your home means a blessing. To be able to _speak_ with them…” she trailed off. 

Pandora smiled tightly at her. “Would be especially precious.”

Apinya nodded. Hesitantly, she said, “I would take you to meet my great-grandmother, should you allow it. She is one of the few female Parselmouths in Thailand. I think, perhaps, it would be good for Harry to meet with her, to learn about his gift in a place where it is revered and not reviled.”

Xenophilius and Pandora nodded eagerly, and Apinya let out a breath of relief. As much as she liked this family, she still hadn’t been sure how they would react to learning their son was a speaker. One never knew with Farang.

“I will speak with Yay-yay tonight, and if she is amenable, bring you to our home tomorrow. Unless you would prefer to stay for the last day of the festival?”

“Dear Merlin, no. After today, I don’t want to go back to that… I’m so sorry, Apinya. That was quite rude,” Pandora said with chagrin. 

Apinya laughed softly. “I understand. Today was not a good day for you. Luckily I am off work for the rest of the week, so I will be able to translate for you. Yay-yay doesn’t speak English.”

“But how will Harry be able to learn from her, then?” Pandora asked, surprised. 

Apinya looked at her curiously. “In Parseltongue.”

Xenophilius laughingly wrapped his wife in his arms as she blushed bright red.

* * *

“Yay-yay, the guests I told you about? The young boy is a speaker.”

“Oh?”

“They are Farang, Yay-yay. From England. The parents were there for the war with the evil speaker.”

“That will be hard for him. Bring them here to me. He has much to learn.”

“Yes, Yay-yay. Tomorrow.”

* * *

**15 April 1987**

Wednesday morning saw the Lovegood family packing their belongings into their expanded bags and checking out of their hotel. They waited in the lobby for Apinya to arrive, then joined her in taking a Portkey to the remote village in which she’d been raised. 

“Welcome to Hmuban Ngu,” Apinya said. The Lovegoods looked around in awe. There were houses and buildings made of teak, lush vegetation, and the scent of flowers and spices on the air. “Yay-yay lives this way,” the small woman explained. “Let’s get you settled in, then we can take a tour of the village.”

Meeting Apinya’s great-grandmother was an experience in itself. Siriporn was a tiny woman with bright white hair, a time-worn face, and intelligent, sparkling eyes of dark brown. She stood slowly from her chair when the strangers entered, leaning heavily on a wooden cane carved to look like a king cobra. Apinya spoke quickly to her in Thai, then turned to the Lovegoods. “This is my great-grandmother. She asks that you call her Yay-yay, as does everyone in the village.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Yay-yay,” said Pandora. “Thank you for welcoming us into your home.”

Yay-yay spoke in rapid-fire Thai, and Apinya quickly showed the Lovegoods to the rooms they’d be staying in, then ushered them out into the village. The children delighted in the new environment, and Xenophilius asked about Gulping Plimpies and any other magical creatures that may be inhabiting the area. 

“At dinner, I will introduce you to Klahan. He is our best guide,” Apinya was saying to Xenophilius as Pandora kept a close eye on the children. “He will be able to take you to the river to search for your Gulping Plimpies. He also speaks some English, so you should be able to communicate with him relatively well.”

* * *

After lunch in the large, outdoor pavilion that had been set up for Songkran, Xenophilius and Luna headed out with Klahan towards the river. It had been decided that the family would split up; Luna would search for creatures with her father, and Pandora would stay with Apinya while Harry was taught by Yay-yay. Klahan assured them that he would bring them back in time for dinner, and that he was willing to take them out each day they were there. 

Harry was both excited and apprehensive about this plan. On one hand, he really wanted to learn more about being a Parselmouth, but on the other… he and his angel did everything together. They hadn’t been separated for any significant amount of time since his trip to the Department of Mysteries nearly a year ago, and even then, they were still in the same building. The two children shared everything, including a bedroom, and rarely ever argued. Every day was an adventure with his angel, and he was a bit worried to have an adventure without her. 

Sensing his trepidation, Luna said, “This is a good thing, Harry. Think about how much fun we’ll have once you’ve learned more! There are snakes in England, too. We can find them, and make friends with them, and maybe they’ll know where to find the Umburglar Slashkilters! Daddy needs help to look for Gulping Plimpies, so we’ll just have to have separate adventures this time. We’re still best friends, Harry. It’s okay for us to be apart sometimes.”

Harry hugged Luna hard. “Thank you for explaining that, angel. You always know just what to say to make everything better.”

Luna looked him in the eyes and said solemnly, “Sometimes you have to See things a different way for them to make sense, Harry.”

* * *

_§“You have been given a great gift, child. I name you Sunan, for you speak words of goodness,”_ Yay-yay said to Harry as they sat in the village temple. 

_§“Thank you, Miss Yay-yay. I don’t understand, though. How come it sounds like we’re speaking English?”_ Harry asked the elderly woman. 

She chuckled at the small boy in front of her. _§“To me, it sounds as if we are speaking Thai.”_

Wide-eyed, Harry said, “Wow!”

Yay-yay tapped his leg. _§“Parseltongue, Sunan. I cannot understand you otherwise.”_

Harry grinned sheepishly. _§“Sorry, Miss Yay-yay.”_

The next several hours were spent with Yay-yay telling Harry the history of Parselmouths in Thailand and how they helped their communities. She explained about how king cobras brought blessings to those who found them in their homes, and how most snakes just wanted to be left alone by humans. _§“They always make time for speakers, Sunan, but be careful not to take advantage. A snake is still a snake, even if you can understand each other.”_

_§“Yes, Miss Yay-yay. I’ll remember.”_

“…And Miss Yay-yay calls me Sunan, because I can speak good words, and she’s going to call you Sasithorn, because she said the name Luna comes from the moon,” Harry excitedly told his angel when they were catching up after dinner. 

“What does she call Mummy and Daddy?” Luna wanted to know. They were laying on their backs under a Purple Mangosteen tree, hands tightly clasped. 

Harry paused. “We didn’t talk about that, angel. I’ll ask her tomorrow, though. After dinner, she said she had to go to bed because her bones were too old to stay awake anymore, but I didn’t know your bones needed to sleep so I’m not quite sure what she meant.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure, either. Let’s ask Mummy when we go inside,” Luna said thoughtfully. 

“Alright. What did you and Daddy see today? Did you find the Gulping Plimpies?” Harry asked. He was just as excited to hear what his angel had to say as he was to tell her about his day with Miss Yay-yay. 

“No Gulping Plimpies, but we did see a lot of non-magical animals. Monkeys that were big and monkeys that were little, birds of every color you can think of, butterflies in more colors than that, and from far far away we saw a black bear with a big yellow spot on his chest. The only magical animal we saw was a water dragon. Klahan said that the muggles think they’re just lizards, but they’re not. They probably don’t realize it because they don’t get as big as the other dragon species. Klahan said they’re only about a metre long when they’re fully grown. The one we found was just a baby.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t find any Gulping Plimpies, angel, but I’m glad you found a dragon. That sounds really special.”

“It was, Harry. I’m glad you had fun with Miss Yay-yay, too. Learning more about being a Parselmouth is really special, too.”

* * *

**16 April 1987**

After dinner the next day, Harry sat between Yay-yay and Apinya under the pavilion in the center of the village. He was giggling at the other members of his family, who were surrounded by the village children and patiently getting their golden hair brushed and braided. 

_§“Daddy looks so silly!”_ he exclaimed. 

_§“Be happy you did not get your parents’ hair color, Sunan, or you would look just as silly. Where did your beautiful black hair come from?”_ she asked curiously, running her gnarled fingers through his messy locks. 

_§“Mummy and Daddy weren’t always my Mummy and Daddy, Miss Yay-yay. Maybe my first parents had black hair?”_

_§“I see. How long have you been with Naak and Nopadon?”_ Yay-yay wanted to know. 

_§“Since I was five. I’m six now, so I’ve been with them for a long time. They’re much nicer than my Aunt and Uncle were. No one hits or yells.”_

_§“That is important, Sunan. I am thankful you are in a good place now.”_

Yay-yay patted him on the leg and gave him a smile, then pointed at his parents. When Harry’s attention went back to the funny sight, Yay-yay caught Apinya’s eye over his head and spoke to her quickly in Thai. Apinya’s eyes widened slightly as she answered her great-grandmother, who nodded in satisfaction. The adults would be having a long conversation tonight after the children went to bed.

* * *

With Apinya translating, Xenophilius and Pandora told Yay-yay about how they came to be raising Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Apinya had tears in her eyes as she told her great-grandmother of the abuse the boy had suffered and the trials they’d faced in getting him accustomed to basic human decency. Leaving out the fact that he had been a horcrux, they instead described their joy at seeing him begin to trust them, and finally flourishing under their care. 

“He’s so smart, Yay-yay. He soaks up information like a little sponge. And he’s polite and agreeable, as well; the only real argument he and our Little Moon have had was the time he told her that freaks don’t deserve birthdays. She yelled at him, which honestly surprised all of us, but he immediately apologised and that was the end of it. I haven’t heard him refer to himself as a freak since,” Pandora explained. 

“The longer he’s been with us, the less the Wrackspurts seem to bother him,” Xenophilius added. Apinya had started to translate his words, but stopped in confusion at the unfamiliar term. 

“Wrackspurts?” she questioned the man. 

“Tiny invisible creatures that float around, going in and out of one's ears and causing their brains to become unfocused and confused,” Xenophilius explained. 

“Ahh,” Apinya said in understanding. “In Thailand, we call them Sabsn-Pathu.” She turned to finish the translation, getting her great-grandmother’s rapid-fire Thai in response. 

“Yay-yay says she will be sending many scrolls home with Sunan, and will have me mark them by subject and difficulty level. They will begin with learning how to read Parseltongue, and go up to advanced Parselmagic. She especially wants him to study the defensive magic scrolls once he is wanded and fully understands the theory.”

“How do we help him with that?” Pandora wondered. 

Apinya gave her an apologetic smile. “You can’t. Yay-yay has tried for many years to teach people to read Parseltongue. It cannot be done, unless the student is a Parselmouth.”

Both parents sighed a bit at this information. “Just… be sure to mark the scrolls that have offensive spells, please,” Pandora asked. “He’s very advanced for his age, but…”

“I understand. Do not worry; I’ll make sure Yay-yay knows.”

* * *

**17 April 1987**

It was their last day in Thailand. The Lovegoods would be leaving shortly after lunch, and Xenophilius wanted to get one last trip to the river in before they left. Klahan offered to take them to an area they hadn’t been to yet, and both Xenophilius and Luna readily agreed. 

“Noon, Xeno,” Pandora warned. “The Portkey to Bangkok is set for half past one, and you both need to have lunch before we leave. We won’t have time to stop for food if we’re going to make it through customs in time for the International Portkey home.”

“Yes, my love. I promise,” her husband replied, and he and Luna set off with a jaunty wave goodbye for Harry and Apinya, met Klahan on the front steps of Yay-yay’s house, and were gone in a loud crack of Side-Along Apparition. 

Pandora sighed, then sent Harry off to find Yay-yay. Apinya was busy marking the scrolls; her great-grandmother had attached notes to each one, describing their contents, and the woman who had become a dear friend was quickly translating each one from Thai into English. 

Walking towards the rooms they had been staying in, Pandora began packing all their belongings. Once finished, she found that Apinya was nearly done with the translations, so she read through the notes on the completed scrolls while she waited. 

“There is so much more here than I would have expected,” Pandora said, completely astounded at the vast amount of magical instruction contained within the scrolls. 

Apinya smiled at her friend. “I was surprised as well,” she replied. “I knew Yay-yay was powerful, but this is… astonishing.”

“Is Yay-yay sure she wants to give these all away?” Pandora wanted to know. “Surely she would want to keep most of them!”

“These are copies of the originals,” Apinya assured her. She quirked a smile and said, “Apparently, permanence charms are quite simple yet very strong in Parseltongue. The originals have been lost for centuries; Yay-yay’s scrolls are copies of copies. It is no big thing for Harry to have these. There, I’m finished. Would you like a cup of tea while we wait?”

“That sounds lovely,” Pandora replied, wistfully thinking of the many things she could do with a simpler and more effective permanence charm.

* * *

Tearful goodbyes were had by all, along with promises to keep in touch, and the Lovegoods were whisked away by the Portkey at half one. Xenophilius and Luna had indeed made it back in time for lunch, a fact he was later thankful for as the International Portkey Office in Bangkok was exceptionally busy that day. The same office in London was not nearly as packed, but the English customs wizards seemed much more thorough than the ones in Thailand. Xenophilius posited that Nargles were a larger problem at home than abroad. 

They had dinner at the Leaky Cauldron, then Apparated home to the Rookery. Soon, the children found themselves freshly scrubbed, wearing their pyjamas, and lying under the Dirigible Plum tree, hand in hand. 

“Did you ever find out why Yay-yay calls Mummy and Daddy Naak and Nopadon?” Luna asked her best friend. 

“Yep. She said it’s because they both have hair of gold.”

Luna smiled serenely. “That is rather fitting, I think. We should stay away from Nifflers, though,” she added with a giggle. 

Harry laughed at her comment, then said, “I’m sorry you and Daddy didn’t find any Gulping Plimpies, angel.”

“That’s alright, Harry. Daddy was a bit disappointed, but he was still happy that we discovered a new species of Kappa. Did you know, this type prefers courgette to cucumbers?”

“Yes, Yay-yay said that when Klahan mentioned it at lunch. She didn’t know there were Kappas that liked cucumbers.”

They were silent for a moment, simply enjoying being together under the familiar tree. “I had a lot of fun in Thailand,” Harry finally said. 

“I did, too,” Luna agreed. “We should take a trip every April, to celebrate our family being complete.”

Harry smiled, a warm feeling coursing through him at her words. He gripped her hand tightly and thought to himself, _‘I have a family now.’_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Evil Author's Day! Please enjoy this sneak peek of what I occasionally work on. This is unfinished, and has no update schedule.
> 
> As always, Black Lives Matter and trans rights are human rights.
> 
> AlphaBeta Love: AmbiguousGoldfish/JacqP. All mistakes are my own, as I’ve completely changed things since it was last looked over.
> 
> Please let me know immediately if I’ve messed up any translations or been unintentionally offensive with Bangladesh culture.

**10 August 1987**

“Pandora. We found a prophecy,” Augustus Rookwood said breathlessly, his head floating in the green flames of the Floo. 

“I’m not surprised. There’s an entire room full of them, Auggie,” Pandora replied in a dry tone. 

“This one has Harry’s name on it.”

“Bloody hell. We’ll be there Wednesday; Xeno has an interview that morning,” she said angrily. 

“I’m sorry, Pan.”

“Thanks, Auggie.”

Pandora pulled her head out of the fireplace and wondered what changes this would bring.

* * *

**12 August 1987**

“That’s it, my darling. Just pick up the ball, that one right there, and then you and Little Moon can go ask Uncle Saul for sweeties.”

“Alright, Mummy,” Harry said, a bit confused as to why Mummy didn’t get the pretty ball down by herself, but the lure of sweeties overrode any desire for a longer explanation. Once he had handed the glass orb full of swirling mist to his mother, he took Luna’s hand and they shot off down the long aisle, darting between the shelves holding the many other swirling orbs in search of Uncle Saul. 

“He’s really come a long way from the first time I saw him,” Augustus commented, watching the two cheerful children leave. 

Pandora smiled tightly. “He’s such a darling boy. It takes awhile for him to warm up to people, but he’s doing much better.” She sighed quietly, then added, “Best find out what it says, Auggie.”

* * *

“Good to see you, Xeno,” Broderick said as the man stepped through the Floo into the Department of Mysteries later that afternoon. “How did your interview go?”

“Are you actually asking me, or trying to put off telling me what all my love destroyed today?” Xenophilius wanted to know. 

Broderick raised a brow. “How did you know she was angry?”

Xenophilius smirked and said, “This is not the first time I’ve been called by someone from the Department to help calm down my wife. It _is_ the first time that the children have been with her, however… no. No! Tell me my children are alright, Broderick. Tell me that they’re safe right now!”

“They’re fine, Xeno,” the tall man immediately said, placing his hands on Xenophilius’ shoulders and allaying his fears. “They’re in with Saul and Auggie, asking all sorts of unanswerable questions about the Time Room.” Broderick released the other man and added, “Also, Luna is trying to convince Saul to paint the walls. She doesn’t like all the black; says it makes your thoughts too quiet and that it doesn’t taste quite right.”

“And Pandora?” Xeno questioned, his heart rate slowly returning to normal. 

“Well, there’s a prophecy, you see…”

* * *

**26 September 1987**

“Children? Can you come inside, please?” Xenophilius asked Harry and Luna when he found them lying under the Dirigible Plum tree shortly after dinner. They followed him back into the cozy sitting room, then took a seat together in the large, squashy armchair near the settee where their mother was already sat. Pandora smiled, thinking they wouldn’t fit side-by-side in the chair for much longer. 

“We have some things to talk to you about, but before we begin, Harry darling, what do you know of your first parents?”

Harry and Luna exchanged curious glances, then Harry answered, “Not a lot, Mummy. My aunt and uncle didn’t like talking about them. Aunt Petunia just said that they were worthless drunks who died smashing up their car. That’s how I got this scar.” He raised his fringe to show her the now faded lightning bolt pattern. It had noticeably begun to dissolve following the removal of the horcrux. 

Xenophilus frowned. “That’s not exactly what happened, my sweet son. That’s not what happened at all.”

“Your first Mummy and Daddy were magical, just like you, my darling. And they most certainly weren’t worthless, nor were they drunkards,” Pandora gently explained.

“They were magic?” Harry asked in wonder. “Did you know them? Were they… were they nice?”

“Oh, my darling, darling boy. Come here, please,” Pandora said, then cuddled him onto her lap when he slid off the armchair and crossed the room to her. Xenophilius pulled Luna into his arms, as well. “James and Lily Potter were very nice. They loved you very, very much.” 

“How did they smash up their car?” Harry wanted to know. Pandora and Xenophilius met each other’s eyes over the children’s heads. Pandora took a deep breath, then continued the tale. 

“They didn’t die in a car, Harry darling. Do you remember how we told you about the man who started a war?”

“Yes, Mummy. He was a very bad man, but he could talk to snakes, too. That’s why I shouldn’t tell people I’m a Parselmouth. It might make them think about the bad man, and be upset.”

“Well done, darling. Your first parents knew how bad he was, and they decided to try to stop him. They died fighting in the war, fighting to protect you. Because they loved you so very, very much, and they wanted you to grow up in a world that was safe.”

Harry was quiet upon hearing his mother’s words. He laid his head on her chest, twining his fingers into her long blonde hair. “Are you alright, my darling?” Pandora asked. Harry sniffled, but nodded. “Remember to try to talk about what you’re feeling, Harry. There is no wrong or right way to feel.”

“I don’t know _what_ to feel, Mummy. I’m sad that they died and happy they wanted to protect me, but I don’t remember them at all. I don’t even know what they looked like.” 

“We can ask Uncle Saul if he could find some photographs of them, if you like, my darling. But I can tell you that James looked just like you, except for your eyes. You have Lily’s eyes. She had long red hair, and was very beautiful,” Pandora replied, hugging him tightly to her chest. 

“She couldn’t have been more beautiful than you, Mummy,” Harry said, fiercely loyal to his beloved mother. “There’s only one person in the whole widest world more beautiful than you.”

“It’s not a contest—” Pandora started to say with a laugh, but Xenophilius interrupted. 

“Who is more beautiful than Mummy, Harry?” he wanted to know. 

Harry smiled and looked at Luna. “My angel.”

* * *

Long after the children had gone to sleep that night, Xenophilius and Pandora lay in their bed, talking softly with one another. 

“Do you think we told him enough, Xeno? Or too much?”

Xenophilius pulled his wife close and softly kissed her. “I think we told him just the right amount, my love. For all that the children are advanced, he’s still only seven years old.”

“What about the prophecy, though? Any hope that it wasn’t about our Harry died when he was able to retrieve the Prophecy Record from the Hall…” she trailed off, and both were quiet for a few moments. 

Xenophilius took a deep breath and said, “I think, my love, that the Department will find a way to protect him. That _we_ will find a way to protect him. Harry is _our son,_ just as much as our sweet moon is our daughter. If it becomes apparent that the prophecy must be fulfilled, then we shall tell him about it. If not, however, I shouldn’t think he need be burdened by it. Not anytime soon, at least. The Wrackspurts are just now starting to leave him alone; this knowledge would only lure them back, especially at his young age.”

“I’ll make more Dirigible Plum jam tomorrow. I think it’s been helping keep them away,” Pandora replied. “We used the last of it at breakfast.”

“You take such good care of us, my love. Harry and Luna are very blessed to have such a brilliant and loving mother.”

Pandora snorted. “Well at least they didn’t need to find a king cobra in the house to make it so.”

“No, just a monocled cobra in a hotel loo,” Xenophilius laughed in reply.

* * *

**9 March 1988**

“Mummy, where are we going next month?” Luna asked one day at breakfast. 

“Going, Little Moon?” Pandora replied, a bit distracted as she directed plates of food to the table with her wand. 

“Yes, Mummy. To celebrate the day we found Harry. We went to Thailand last year, remember?” the still small girl said. “I was just curious where we would go this year. Harry and I have that new book on creatures of the world, and I thought we should look up where we’re going to be. That way, if we find a creature we’ve never seen before, we’ll know if we’ve made a new discovery or if it’s a creature that has already been discovered.”

“How very practical of you, Little Moon.” Pandora sat down, smiling at the proud look her husband was giving their daughter. “Did you have a location in mind?”

“Not particularly, Mummy. Although Harry would like it if we went somewhere that Parselmouths were accepted.”

“Harry would, would he?” she said, grinning at her son. “Harry, darling? Do you have any suggestions?”

Harry smiled shyly and ducked his head. “Wherever you pick is fine, Mummy.” He still had trouble asking for things for himself, always wanting to please. 

Xenophilius frowned at this. “My sweet son, surely you have come across a place in your readings that you would like to visit?”

“Er, well… I _did_ rather like the tales in One Thousand and One Nights about snakes, Daddy. It’s a muggle book, though. Were they set in a real place?” Harry asked. 

Xenophilius tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Many of those tales are from Arabia. They were collected many, many years ago from all over Arabia, as well as from across much of Asia and even North Africa. That’s a very large area to choose from. Which tales about snakes did you particularly enjoy?”

_“The Crow and the Serpent_ and _The Serpent Charmer and His Wife_ are my favorites,” Harry admitted, his reticence gone now that he was being asked about books. 

“Snake charming, eh?” Xenophilius said with a knowing grin. “You, my sweet son, would be a phenomenal snake charmer. Let’s try to find a place where we can see some.” He ruffled Harry’s messy hair and gave him a wink. 

“I would like to visit another festival,” Luna offered. “Songkran was very nice.”

The children missed the worry that flashed in their mother’s eyes for a moment, but Pandora was able to say calmly, “We’ll come up with some options, and discuss it at dinner. How does that sound?”

“Very good, Mummy!” Luna replied, then grabbed Harry’s hand and squeezed. “Family Day is the best day ever!”

* * *

“You look for festivals, Xeno. I’m off to my workshop. We’re not leaving the country again without some type of magical tether. I will _not_ lose them again.” Pandora said as she cleared their breakfast things, bringing the dishes to the sink where her husband had already started washing the skillet. 

“Yes, my love. I shall let you know what I find.”

* * *

At dinner, Harry and Luna had to be reminded that snakes didn’t belong at the table. “But Mummy, we’re still making our world domination plans! Please don’t send our soldiers away!” Luna cried, three grass snakes and a lone smooth snake coiled around her arms. 

“World domination, eh?” Xenophilius asked, reaching out to stroke the adder that was curled around Harry’s wrist. 

“Yes, Daddy. An army marches on its stomach, you know,” Luna said matter-of-factly. 

“Not that one, Daddy,” Harry said quietly, pulling his arm away. “Here, this one is nice.” He pulled a small grass snake out of his pocket and handed it to the bemused man. 

“Little Moon, snakes were _not_ what Napoleon meant when he said that, and Harry darling,” Pandora said firmly, “I am _quite_ sure I have told you before not to bring anything venomous into the house. Now please, children. Take your soldiers outside. You may overthrow the government tomorrow.”

“Yes, Mummy,” they chorused glumly. Harry took the grass snake back from Xenophilius, then the two children slid out of their seats and left to release the serpents into the garden. 

Pandora met Xenophilius’ eyes, and they both started snickering. “An army marches on its stomach, indeed,” Xenophilius chortled. 

When the children returned and dinner had been served, Xenophilius said, “I believe I have found us a festival for Family Day!” He liked the title his sweet moon had given the day and decided to adopt it as tradition immediately. “Pahela Baishakh is the celebration of the new year in Bangladesh, much like Songkran was in Thailand. I must say, I quite like the symbolism of a new year celebration on Family Day. The festival happens on the fourteenth of April each year, but we can go to Bangladesh on the eleventh or twelfth so that we’re there on Family Day as well. What do you think?” he asked with excitement. 

“Are there snake charmers in Bangladesh?” Harry asked, starting to get excited as well. 

“And do they like Parselmouths there?” Luna wanted to know, always concerned for her best friend. 

“Yes and yes, my son and moon,” Xenophilius replied. “I haven’t heard of any creature sightings there, however. We will just have to ask around when we get there,” he added. 

“Mummy?” Harry asked hesitantly. “Does Bangladesh sound alright with you?” He was worried that his mother didn’t like the idea, since she hadn’t said anything yet. 

“Hmm? Oh, yes, my darling. Pahela Baishakh sounds lovely. Mummy was just thinking about a new spell…” she trailed off, her formidable mind running through runic sequences and arithmantic equations in her head as she mapped out the spell work needed for the magical tether. Smiling, and quite used to this by now, Harry turned back to his plate to finish his dinner. His _family_ was making plans to celebrate the day he had come into their lives. _Family Day._ Harry was loved.

* * *

**12 April 1988**

Xenophilius and Pandora were awoken when two small missiles landed on them early in the morning. “Happy Family Day, Mummy! Happy Family Day, Daddy!” their children cried and jumped around like monkeys on their bed. “Wake up, wake up!” continued Luna. “Today is Family Day, the best day of the whole year!”

Xenophilius groaned, rubbing his lower back where two small knees had landed, and Pandora grabbed blindly for one of the children. “Who let these monkeys into our room, Xeno?” she asked, eyes still closed. “Yadu Sahara is a very strange village if this is the sort of thing that is common.”

“I definitely agree, my love. We should speak with the hotel manager. Did you know that the best way to get rid of bed monkeys is to…” he paused to grab for Luna, who was still jumping around. Harry had snuggled next to Pandora, burrowing under her arm. _“Tickle them!”_ Xenophilius roared, leaping up and finally managing to take hold of Luna. He tickled her ribs with his fingertips, making her laugh hysterically. Harry was giggling at the sight, when suddenly he found himself laughing just as hard and trying to get away from his mother’s tickling fingers, too. 

After a delicious breakfast of Luchi and Cholar Dal had been brought to their rooms and consumed, the Lovegoods made their way to the hotel lobby where they asked the man at the front desk if there were any snake charmers in the area. 

“Yes, there is,” Sahir said, surprised. “There is one who came to the village quite recently, in fact. He usually sets up near the village gates. Might I ask why you are interested? Most Gora do not care for those who commune with serpents.” 

“Does Gora mean the same as Farang?” Luna asked curiously. 

Sahir’s brows drew together and he tilted his head to the side. “I am sorry, but I do not know this word, ‘Farang,’” he admitted. 

Mildly embarrassed, Pandora explained, “It’s the word for white people in Thai. We went to Thailand last year around this same time.”

The dark haired man nodded in understanding. “Then yes, it does mean the same, young one. Specifically those with hair like yours,” he added with a wink. 

Luna smiled at him. “Today is Family Day, Mr Sahir! We’re going to see the snake charmers because Harry can talk to snakes and being a Parselmouth isn’t a bad thing here,” she informed the now stunned man. 

“You are a serpent speaker, young one?” he asked Harry in surprise. 

Harry tightened his grip on Luna’s hand and stepped closer to her before replying, “Yes, sir.”

Sahir’s entire face lit up. “We must celebrate! To think, a serpent speaker has come to stay at Dorakata Bagha…” He clapped his hands together twice, then said, “Please, come for a dinner in your honor tonight. You said it was Family Day? Explain to me what that is. We shall celebrate Family Day as well!” 

While Xenophilius and Pandora were telling Sahir about Family Day, Luna said to her best friend, “They _really_ like Parselmouths here, Harry.”

“I know, angel,” Harry replied, wide eyed and a little nervous. “What do you think they’ll make me do?” he asked worriedly. 

Luna wrapped Harry in a tight hug. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Harry. I imagine they’ll ask you to speak to a snake or two, but they won’t _force_ you to do anything. Mummy and Daddy wouldn’t let them.”

“Oh, good. Thank you, angel,” he said, relaxing a bit. He was still nervous about being the center of attention in any situation, and the thought of a celebration in his honor was rather nerve-wracking.

* * *

The Lovegoods soon found the snake charmer right where Sahir had said he would be. A small crowd had gathered around the man and his baskets of snakes, all hoping for a glance at the mysterious ability to hypnotize serpents. 

Confident in the magical tether she had created, Pandora allowed Harry and Luna to make their way to the front of the crowd without them. She and Xenophilius were able to see quite clearly from the back, but the children were too short to do so. 

Hands tightly clasped, Harry and Luna burst through to the front of the crowd, wide smiles on their faces. There were several baskets set about the man, who was wearing a brightly colored shirt and a red turban. He picked up one of the baskets, set it just in front of the rug he’d placed upon the ground, then sat down, cross-legged, and opened the basket. When the snake charmer began to play his pungi, the heads of two Indian cobras rose from the depths.

Luna was entranced by the sight, but when she turned in her excitement to look at Harry, she was surprised by the look of fear and sadness on his face. “What’s wrong, Harry?”

“He’s killing them, angel,” Harry said quietly. 

_“What?”_ Luna asked, horrified. “How is he killing them?”

Harry waved a hand in the snakes’ direction. “They can’t open their mouths; they’ve been stuck shut. They’re starving, angel. He’s a bad man.” 

Luna looked between the snakes and the charmer, then back at Harry. “What are they saying?”

“Not good things,” Harry admitted, his fear giving way to anger. He stepped closer to the basket of serpents. “You’re a bad man!” he yelled at the snake charmer. “You’re starving them!”

The snake charmer’s eyes widened for a split second, then narrowed at the boy. He continued to play the pungi, pointedly ignoring the furious child in front of him. 

“Look here, young man,” a white man in the crowd said. “What do you mean he’s starving them? How do you know?”

“They told me!” Harry replied angrily. He stepped closer still to the basket, and began hissing loudly at the cobras. Xenophilius and Pandora were pushing through the crowd, trying to reach their children. “He did something… had someone put a spell… they can’t open their mouths anymore!” Harry cried loud enough for the entire crowd to hear, pausing to translate what the snakes were saying. 

He hissed at them some more, then reached into the basket and picked up one of the cobras, carefully handing it to his angel. “I told them that the people with gold hair will protect them, angel,” Harry explained quickly, then turned back to grab for the other snake. By this point, the snake charmer had quit playing his punji and was shouting furiously at the boy in Bangla. 

“You are a bad, bad man!” Harry screamed back at him, not caring that he had no idea what the man was saying and unaware that he had tears streaming down his face. He handed the snake off to his father, who had finally arrived by his side. Harry started opening the other baskets, hissing into them as well, as the crowd stared in wide-eyed shock. Xenophilius and Pandora were speaking quickly with the man who had first questioned Harry, and he in turn was translating what the snake charmer was saying. Luna handed her snake to her mother when Harry cried out, “Angel, help me!” and she rushed over to him. 

The children began dragging the other three baskets away from the bad man and back towards their hotel. It was slow going; none of the people in the crowd blocked their path, but none offered to help, either. Just when they’d made it through the throng of bodies, two men in official looking dark blue robes appeared. “What is going on here,” one of the men barked out, while the other said the same thing in Bangla. They looked down at the two children, both of them now crying, as they attempted to drag the baskets further away. The first man said, “Come now, young ones. It cannot be as bad as all that?”

Luna knew Harry was too upset to speak, so she said, “We’re taking these poor snakes away from the bad, bad man over there.” She pointed in the direction of where the snake charmer was still yelling furiously at her parents. “He’s done something to them, stuck their mouths closed, and they’re starving to death. We have to save them!” she cried, tears rolling down her face.

The second man had been speaking to the crowd and told his partner, “The boy is a speaker, Asim. From what I could gather, the charmer has had the snakes spelled. Look at the parents; have you ever seen Gora so calm around serpents? I am inclined to believe him.” 

Asim patted Luna on the shoulder. “Wait here with Jahir, young ones. We will help you save your snakes,” he said, then stood and walked towards the shouting match at the other end of the crowd. 

Jahir sat down in the street next to the baskets. “We are Jadu Pulisa, young ones. You are from England, yes? I believe you call us Aurors there.”

Luna sniffled and grabbed Harry’s hand. “Will you take the bad man to Azkaban for us, please?”

Jahir stifled a laugh at the politeness with which she had asked. “We have a different place to take bad men in Bangladesh. Would you tell me your names, please, young ones?”

“I’m Luna, and this is Harry,” she replied. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr Jahir.” Pandora’s children were unfailingly polite, even if sometimes they were uncomfortably honest. 

“So it is, Miss Luna. And where are you staying whilst you are in our country?”

Luna sat down next to another basket, tugging on Harry’s hand until he sat next to her. “We’re staying at Dorakata Bagha. Mr Sahir said it means ‘The Striped Tiger’ in English.” She wiped her nose with her sleeve, making the man grin. 

“Yes it does, fair Luna. Does Harry know what kind of snakes are in the baskets?” the kind man asked, aware that Harry wasn’t willing to speak with him yet. Luna turned to Harry, who shook his head. “Would you allow me to open a basket to see?” he asked gently. 

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man, considering. He finally nodded, then opened a basket to hiss inside. “Okay, you can look now. But they don’t want to be touched,” he cautioned Jahir. “They don’t look quite like the king cobras we saw in Thailand, but they’re very similar.”

Leaning over to peer inside, Jahir said, “Ahh. These are Gokhra. They have a very dangerous bite. They are called Indian cobras in English. I believe they are sometimes called spectacled cobras, as well.”

“They can’t bite at all,” Luna said sadly. “In Thailand, they weren’t mean to snakes. I liked it there.”

Jahir frowned. “We will have to help the Gokhra, so that you like it here, as well.”

Just then, Pandora rushed over to her children with a cobra wrapped around her arm and over her shoulders, carrying a large basket. “Little Moon, Harry, there you are! Harry darling, help Mummy put the snake in the basket, please. I need to hug you both but I don’t want to harm him.” Jahir smiled at the blonde woman, getting to his feet to assist her. After the serpent was back in its basket, Pandora gathered her children in her arms. 

“Oh, my darlings, I am so proud of you! We should always protect those who are vulnerable, and you were both just brilliant! My clever, kind children,” she gushed, peppering their faces with kisses as she spoke. 

“Too tight, Mummy,” Harry managed to say, and Pandora released him with a laugh. 

“Mr Jahir said he couldn’t take the bad man to Azkaban,” Luna said solemnly. 

Jahir stepped forward and bowed slightly towards Pandora. “Jahir Muhuri, madam. I explained that we have a different place for bad men in Bangladesh,” he said with a smile. 

Pandora frowned at him. “I do hope that this place is a room from which he cannot escape, containing only the snakes he has harmed once we have freed their mouths,” she said severely. 

Jahir blinked twice. “Madam, I fear I must disappoint you, however I am delighted to say you have just made a friend for life.”

Pandora smiled tightly at the man. “Well, friend, help us get these baskets back to Dorakata Bagha. Hopefully Sahir won’t mind.”

* * *

Sahir, it turned out, was ecstatic to help. He sent an owl to the Sapa Sanraksana, and they in turn sent two wizards and a witch to Dorakata Bagha to assist. The Bengali herpetologists arrived quickly, and immediately began assessing the hungry serpents. It was determined that a simple Finite Incantatem was all that was needed to release the poor beasts’ mouths, and under Harry and Luna’s watchful eyes, the snakes were finally freed and fed. 

“Thank you for saving my friends,” Harry told the herpetologists. “They were very hungry.” His voice was so solemn that the wizards both felt their hearts clench. 

“You have an honorable soul,” said the witch, patting him on the shoulder. “And a precious gift. Perhaps your friends would like to come with us to the Sapa Sanraksana, where they can be protected.”

“I’m sure they would rather be free,” Harry replied, a touch of censure in his tone. 

Awni Lashkar smiled at him. “Come visit us there tomorrow, young one. See for yourself what we can offer them, then make your decision. They are your snakes now; you will decide where they go.” 

Harry nodded sharply, then turned away from her and went back to the baskets. He wanted to make sure his new friends had no problems eating their rats.

* * *

That evening, Sahir proudly ushered the Lovegoods into the formal dining area of the hotel. A long, red cloth had been placed on the floor for them to sit at and eat, where every occupant in the room would be able to see them. The herpetologists were sat with them, along with Asim Kazi and Jahir Muhuri, the Jadu Pulisa who had helped rescue the snakes; Zaryab Chakladar, the owner of Dorakata Bagha; and Aurik Didihar, the Bengali Minister of Magic. 

Harry had refused the seat of honor at the end, preferring instead to sit next to his angel. The Minister of Magic stepped in, ruffled Harry’s messy hair, and took his place with a wink. “I’m rather used to people staring at me, young one. Let me take your place; you may sit on my right, with fair Luna by your side.”

The boy smiled in relief at the jolly man, and said, “Thank you, Mr Didhar.” Sahir quickly rearranged the seating plans, directing the others to their places. Xenophilius and Pandora were next to Luna; Zaryab Chakladar was seated directly across from Harry with the three herpetologists down from him. The two Jadu Pulisa took their places at the far end of each side of the cloth to round out their number. 

Sahir fluttered about, completely in his element. When he directed the servers to bring out the first course, his smile was blindingly bright. The old traditions of Magical Bengali would be followed this evening, and Sahir was loving it. 

When the first course was delivered, Harry looked around, a little confused. Seeing his expression, Minister Didihar leaned towards him. “Do not worry, young one. There are many courses to this meal. You will have much to eat,” he said, assuming the boy was concerned about the small serving. 

“Oh, no sir,” Harry replied, “I wasn’t worried about that. Er, I don’t seem to have any silverware.”

Luna looked around then, as well. “Oh no, neither do I!” she exclaimed. 

Minister Didihar and Mr Chakladar exchanged humorous glances. “In Bangladesh, we eat with our fingers,” the Minister explained. “Only with your right hand, though.” He lowered his voice and whispered loudly, as if imparting a great secret, “When eaten with fingers, food tastes much better.”

The children giggled at the funny man. Luna turned to her mother and asked, “Mummy? Are we allowed?”

Pandora smiled and said, “Of course, Little Moon. Go right ahead.”

Course after course of delicious food was brought out, the children eating each with gusto. They giggled the entire time about being allowed to sit on the floor and eat with their fingers, making the adults laugh. When the sweet courses began to be delivered, Luna was in heaven. “Pudding!” she cried joyously, stealing bites from Harry’s plate when she had finished her own. 

At the conclusion of the ceremonial meal, Minister Didihar asked the Lovegoods if they were willing to do a short press conference with the rescued cobras for the local newspaper. Xenophilius and Pandora had a short, hurried conversation with each other before agreeing, making sure the man knew that Harry’s name needed to be kept out of the paper. They explained away the need by reminding the man of the typical Gora bias against Parselmouths in England, keeping Harry’s last name to themselves. 

Minister Didhar readily agreed, but Harry flat out refused to participate. “No! My friends have been hurt; they don’t want to be put on display for humans!” he said vehemently. Luna grasped his hand tightly and stood in solidarity with her best friend, determined to protect the snakes as well. 

“I don’t think you would want people to stare at you just because you’d been starved, Mr Didihar,” she pointed out. “It doesn’t seem like it would be a very nice feeling at all.” The three herpetologists came to stand behind the children, silently offering their support, yet allowing the young speaker to make the final decision. 

“I… I didn’t think about that, young ones,” the Minister said, stroking his beard. “Perhaps you would be amenable to speaking with conjured Gokhra, instead?”

Harry turned to Luna in confusion, and she said, “Amenable means agreeable, Harry. He’s asking if conjured snakes are okay with you.”

“Oh, thank you, angel.” Harry turned to the hopeful man and said, “Yes, sir. That should be amminble,” stumbling over the unfamiliar word and eliciting a grin from most of the adults. 

Soon, the Lovegoods found themselves on a raised dais in the hotel’s large conference room, surrounded by members of the press. Minister Didihar gave a short speech, then invited Harry forward to stand next to him behind the podium. Harry explained how he had heard the poor snakes crying out in hunger and fear, and knew he had to act. Minister Didihar asked if there were any questions, reminding the gathered reporters that this was a seven year old boy, and to keep their questions appropriate. 

“How could you hear the snakes speaking if their mouths were spelled shut?” one reporter asked, his scepticism apparent. 

Harry looked at him like he was an idiot and said, “Snakes don’t open their mouths to speak. Or to stick out their tongues. They don’t have lips.” Chagrined, the man sat down amid the laughter of his peers. 

“When did you find out you were a speaker?” a woman wanted to know. 

“Last year in Thailand,” Harry replied. “Mummy was very upset.”

“She doesn't like serpent speakers?” the woman continued, not surprised that the Gora woman would react that way. 

“Oh no, ma’am. Mummy doesn’t mind that at all. She was just very worried that I was talking to a monocled cobra whilst in the bath.” Harry was visibly startled at the laughter; he hadn’t realized that what he’d said would be taken as humorous, making the members of the press laugh that much harder. 

Another man raised his hand. “Have you spoken with many other snakes besides the ones from today and the one in your bath?” he asked. 

“We have several in the garden at home,” Harry said. “My angel and I play with them when they’re not sleepy. I’m not allowed to take the adders in the house, though; it makes Mummy cross. And I talked to lots and lots of king cobras in Thailand when I was learning about Parselmagic with Miss Yay-yay.”

The reporter smiled and said, “I can’t say I blame your Mummy for that rule, young one. I wouldn’t want poisonous snakes in my house, either.”

Harry looked at him curiously. “Adders aren’t poisonous at all. There are only two kinds of poisonous snakes: keelbacks and garter snakes. But the garter snakes are only poisonous if they eat a special kind of newt in America.”

Silence greeted this pronouncement. Xenophilius looked on proudly, but Pandora rolled her eyes. She stood and said, “My darling boy, I believe the gentleman meant venomous. You are not allowed to bring _venomous_ snakes in the house.”

“But that’s two different things, Mummy,” Harry insisted, much to the crowd’s delight. “Venomous means it’s dangerous if you are bitten, poisonous means it’s dangerous to touch or eat.”

“And now they know, my darling. Thank you for explaining that to everyone,” she said fondly, running her fingers through his messy hair before retaking her seat. 

Another reporter asked, “What did you learn about Parselmagic in Thailand?”

Harry replied, “One of the first things Miss Yay-yay said was that snakes are still snakes, even if you can talk to them. So always be kind. In Thailand, king cobras are called angel snakes, and they bring blessings when you find them in your house. Not like here, where they get their mouths stuck closed and starved…” he trailed off sadly. “They don’t like to be screeched at. They don't like to be stepped on, either. If you just leave them alone, they won’t hurt you.” The reporters took note of the emphatic nodding by the herpetologists, and noted down the information. 

Sheshdhar Quader, one of the men from the Sapa Sanraksana, stood and said, “We will be giving the young speaker and his family a tour of our facility tomorrow. We would be honored if the members of the press would join us, to promote safe practices regarding human/serpent interactions.” He took his seat when he received several nods and shouts of confirmation. 

Minister Didihar retook the podium and said, “The rescued Gokhra are currently recovering, and will not be displayed for you this evening. I can tell you that eight serpents were saved, and the pataka snake charmer has been banned from ever entering Yadu Sahara again.” A cheer rose from the crowd, but the Minister did not fail to note the dark looks on the Lovegood’s faces. “The man is pataka, a… squib, I think you say in English. This is a harsh sentence for one raised in the magical world. Do not worry that he will simply restart his trade as magala, a muggle; we spelled him so that no serpent would ever come near him again.”

Pleased at the relief he saw on their faces, he returned to addressing the crowd. “Our young speaker has said he is willing to speak with a conjured Gokhra for us this evening. I would ask that you all be silent, and hold your questions until after. As the young one has said, a snake is still a snake, and we wouldn’t want to provoke the Gokhra.”

With a flourish, as he was ever the politician, Minister Didihar deftly conjured an exceptionally long Indian cobra, just over two metres in length. The crowd gasped quietly; in Bangladesh, Gokhra are rarely seen longer than one and a half metres. The snake lifted its head and looked around, hood flared. 

_§“Where am I? Why am I here?”_ the confused serpent demanded, having been suddenly brought into being. 

_§“You are in Bangladesh,”_ Harry replied. The crowd gasped as the deadly snake turned its attention to the small boy. To them, the cobra appeared poised to strike; to Harry, they were simply having a chat. 

He sat down next to the serpent and asked, _§“What is your name? Mine is Harry.”_

_§“I am Nag, for I am male. Is ‘Harry’ the word for male humans?”_

_§“No, it’s just my name. I’m still a male, though,”_ he added hurriedly at the end. 

Nag swayed, tasting the air around him. _§“I am hungry, male Harry. Where in this place would I find a nice rat?”_

_§“I’ll ask if I can get you one. There are several in the other room,”_ Harry replied, then his eyes widened at Nag’s response. He slowly stood up and backed away, turning to the Minister. “Er, sir? May I get one of the leftover rats from the other room? Nag says he’s hungry…”

“Is everything alright, young one?” Minister Didihar asked in concern. 

“Er, yeah… Nag just didn’t think I should have to ask to go, sir.”

“What did he say?” the man asked, curiously. The press were hanging onto their every word. 

Harry looked at him with wide eyes. “Oh no, sir. I can’t tell you. I’m not allowed to say those kinds of words,” he said, rather quickly. “But he’s really hungry, and, and he… can’t I just get him a rat, please?”

The Minister shushed the soft snickering of the crowd and asked Sheshdhar to get a rat from the box the herpetologists had brought with them from the Sapa Sanraksana. Once the snake had been fed, he wound himself around the small boy, tickling his ear with his tongue and making him laugh. He twined around Luna as well when she came forward to pet the snake, and Harry’s hissing and the children’s giggles could be heard throughout the room. Every so often, Harry’s eyes would go wide, and the reporters now understood this meant the snake had said something shocking. 

A short time later, they said goodbye to Nag and Minister Didihar vanished the cobra. Laughingly, the Minister said to the crowd, “Only I could conjure a foul-mouthed Gokhra to speak with a child.” He shook his head with chagrin. “Now, questions?”

“What did you talk about?” was shouted by several people. 

“Er, Nag wanted to know if my name meant male human, since ‘Nag’ means male snake. Um, he wanted a rat, and then he wanted to know if he could bite anyone. I told him no, of course,” Harry said quickly. “I _think_ he was joking. He said my hair felt weird, and that I should change it. He liked my angel’s hair.” Harry scrunched up his nose and added, “He was really quite rude, to be honest.” The reporters laughed heartily, along with the Minister who then called an end to the press conference. 

Once the last of the press had left the hotel, Zaryab Chakladar offered rooms to the herpetologists for the night, free of charge. He considered the exposure Dorakata Bagha would get from the press conference to be well worth the expense, and the three people readily agreed.

* * *

Xenophilius and Pandora tucked their children into bed, telling them how proud they were of both of them. They praised Harry for his bravery during the press conference, knowing how hard it had been for the shy boy. Once they had retired to their own room, Luna slipped out of her bed and climbed into Harry’s, lying next to him and linking their hands together. 

“You were very brave today,” Luna said. 

“I didn’t _feel_ brave, angel,” Harry admitted. 

Luna rolled onto her side to face him. “I don’t think most people feel brave when they’re being brave, Harry.” Seeing his confused look, she explained, “Doing something scary, even though you’re scared, is what makes it brave. If you weren’t scared, you wouldn’t need to be brave.”

Harry rolled over as well, staring into his angel’s eyes. “That makes sense, I guess. How come it was scarier to talk to people than it was to take the snakes, though?”

“Because you weren’t angry when you were talking to the people. Sometimes when you’re angry, you don’t have room for scared. It’s still bravery, though.”

“Thank you, angel. You always make me feel better.”

“You’re welcome, Harry. We’re best friends. That’s how it works, you know. We always help each other, and when one of us is scared or angry or sad or doesn’t understand something, the other one is there to make it better.”

Harry smiled. “You’re the bestest best friend ever, angel.”

“So are you, Harry.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Evil Author's Day! Please enjoy this sneak peek of what I occasionally work on. This is unfinished, and has no update schedule.
> 
> As always, Black Lives Matter and trans rights are human rights.
> 
> AlphaBeta Love: AmbiguousGoldfish/JacqP. All mistakes are my own, as I’ve completely changed things since it was last looked over.
> 
> Please let me know immediately if I’ve messed up any translations or been unintentionally offensive with Bangladesh culture.

**13 April 1988**

“Daddy! We _need_ to get one of these!” Harry exclaimed, wind rushing through his hair. He and Luna were unable to move around much, but their hands were tightly clasped where they were sat on the flying carpet. Sat quite firmly, in fact; Pandora had put sticking charms on their bums before they took off for the Sapa Sanraksana. 

“Would that we could, my sweet son,” Xenophilius replied. “I’m afraid flying carpets are banned in England now. One of our neighbors, in fact, was instrumental in starting the legislation outlawing them. Ridiculous man, always worried about what the muggles are doing; I shouldn’t be surprised if it were discovered that he’s a part of the Rotfang Conspiracy…” the rest of his words were carried away by the wind when their carpet made a turn to the East and began descending. 

Nasir Nahar, one of the Bengali herpetologists, was guiding the carpet towards its destination. Along with Nasir, the twelve-seater flying carpet carried the Lovegoods, two of Nasir's co-workers: Sheshdhar Quader and Awni Lashkar, Minister Didihar, and reporters from both predominant Bengali news publications Pratidinera Nabi and Da'ini Saptahika, along with their respective photographers. 

The large building they landed in front of was made of terra-cotta and had five dome-topped towers along the roof: one in each corner, topped with large domes of what appeared to be smooth glass, the largest tower rising above the others from the center of the building. The walls that stretched between were arched gracefully, lending an air of elegance and light to the conservatory. 

The herpetologists ushered the group inside, welcoming them to the Sapa Sanraksana. Harry and Luna were not the only ones looking around with wide-eyed curiosity. The conservatory was beautiful. 

“Each of the towers is home to one of the ‘big four’ most dangerous species of snakes native to Bangladesh and India,” Nasir explained. “The north tower contains Kalach, or the common krait. The west tower houses Chandraborha, or Russell’s viper. Fursa Boda Sap, Indian saw scaled vipers, inhabit the south tower, and our Gokhra, the spectacled or Indian cobras live in the east tower. Each tower has been magically expanded and equipped with spells to maintain an environment perfect for each species.” 

“Brilliant,” Harry said reverently, looking around. There were trees, a pond, and an arid area in different sections of the large main room in the building, underneath the large glass dome. Natural light filled the space, helping to keep the different environments’ chronobiology intact. “What other types of snakes do you have here?”

“Mostly magical varieties, but also those used in potions,” Nasir informed the boy. The reporters were taking copious amounts of notes, and the photographers were clicking away with their cameras. The herpetologists exchanged smiles; the exposure from the newspapers would hopefully bring in some much needed revenue. 

“We currently have six Runespoors in the lower portion of the forest, two Horned Serpents in the pond, and many Boomslang high in the arboretum. We are set up for Ashwinders in the arid area, as well, but do not have any with us currently. Our main purpose is developing antivenins for the big four, along with educating the public about how to safely interact with serpents,” Sheshdhar explained. 

“A noble pursuit, indeed,” Xenophilius said. “I assume you do not have the proper facilities to house sea serpents or Basilisks?”

Awni smiled at his enthusiasm. “We had enough trouble getting set up to house the Horned Serpents,” she admitted. “Sea serpents are exponentially larger than those. As for Basilisks, well…”

“Unfortunately no one who currently works at the Sapa Sanraksana is a speaker,” Nasir said. “One cannot house a Basilisk without being able to ask it to close its eyes.”

As group was nodding their understanding, Harry heard a voice. Looking around, he saw movement under one of the many shrubs that lined the main room. 

_§“Excellent. The slaves have brought new humans to admire me. Gaze upon my beauty, peasants! For I am glorious…”_

Harry began giggling and tugged on Luna’s sleeve to get her attention. He pointed out the large yellow snake that was slowly making her way out of the underbrush and coming towards them. “Oh Harry, she’s lovely!” Luna said. 

The boy snorted. “She knows it, too, angel,” he replied with a smile. 

“This is Sona,” Nasir said, taking note of the large serpent in their midst. “She is an albino Burmese python, and generally has the run of the place. A very foolish man tried to keep her as a pet. This man did not realize that large snakes consume large prey, nor that she would get as big as she did. Sona is just over five metres long and weighs eighty kilos. She was vastly underweight when she was brought to us; the wizard who owned her was feeding her only with rats. When she escaped and ate one of his neighbors’ goats, he decided it was time to find her a new place to live. Thankfully, he did not kill her. Sona has lived here at the Sapa Sanraksana for almost fifteen years now. She is a favorite of many, and we use her to foster goodwill towards serpents. Not many can resist her charms,” the herpetologist said fondly. 

“She calls you her slaves,” Harry said, snickering. “She’s happy that you’ve brought new peasants to admire her beauty.”

Nasir’s jaw dropped. “She wouldn’t _survive_ in the wild!” he said in indignation. “Slaves indeed…” he continued to splutter. 

“Is she happy here?” Awni wanted to know. “Is there anything we could do to improve her quality of life?” 

Harry shrugged and turned to Sona. _§“Hello, Sona. My name is Harry. It is very nice to meet you.”_

_§“My slaves have brought me a speaker! How nice. They are very good slaves; thank them for me, if you please. Then fetch me a goat, small speaker. After that you may worship how exquisite I am.”_

_§“I will ask your, er, slaves to bring you a goat,”_ Harry promised. _§“But they wanted me to ask you if you are happy here, and if there was anything you needed to make your life better.”_

_§“Hmm. Perhaps the occasional pig would make a nice change. More peasants to venerate my loveliness. I am quite beautiful, you know.”_

Sona had wrapped herself around Harry while she was speaking. He staggered slightly under her weight, and Luna stepped forward to allow the large snake to use her as a perch as well.

_§“You are the most beautiful snake I have ever seen. I will let them know, Sona. Thank you for speaking with me today,”_ Harry said. Sona dipped her head, then slithered off of the children and back into the shrubbery. To Awni, Harry laughingly said, “Sona wants a goat to eat right now, pigs to eat occasionally, and more people to look at how beautiful she is. She said you are very good slaves, and she thanks you for your service.” Both children dissolved into giggles, making the adults laugh along with them.

* * *

“This is where we create antivenins,” Sheshdhar explained, showing the group into a very clean and modern-looking potions lab. Several witches and wizards were bent over cauldrons, while others were rushing about, completing various other tasks. “We milk venom from the big four by having them bite the top of a latex covered flask, and then use that venom to develop much needed medicines to treat snakebites. We also send the antivenin we create to muggle hospitals in Bangladesh; it seems to work just as well on non-magical people as it does for witches and wizards.”

“How do you get the snakes to bite the latex?” Luna wanted to know. 

Sheshdhar smiled and said, “Let us show you, fair Luna. The milking room is just through here.”

The milking room was rather small, so only the Lovegoods entered with the herpetologist. Another man carefully reached into a terrarium and removed a Chandraborha from within. Faster than anyone could blink, a second Chandraborha struck him in the fleshy part of his palm. The man hissed in pain and dropped the snake he was holding back into the terrarium. He slammed the lid closed, cursing furiously in Bangla the entire time. 

Sheshdhar rushed to his side, speaking quickly to him in reassuring tones. To the Lovegoods, he said, “Unfortunately, this is the risk one undertakes when working with venomous snakes. Chandraborha are nortoriously aggressive. You must excuse me, I need to get Dhir to the medical wing.”

Harry quickly stepped forward. “I can help,” he said, no hesitation in his voice. “Please, let me help Mr Dhir, sir,” he pleaded. 

Sheshdhar and Dhir had a hurried conversation in Bangla, then Dhir hesitantly extended his hand towards the boy. Harry grasped the man’s palm, and began speaking in Parseltongue directly above the bite mark. To the others’ amazement, a transparent, yellowish liquid began to run out of the puncture wounds. Harry kept hissing until the yellow color disappeared and the only thing coming from the punctures was blood. 

“Er, I don’t know how to close the wounds yet,” he said apologetically. “But all of the venom is gone.” Harry turned to his shocked mother and said, “Mummy? Could you please heal Mr Dhir for me?”

Shaking her head slightly to clear it, Pandora said, “Of course, my darling.” She stepped forwards and waved her wand over the stunned man’s hand, instantly knitting the flesh back together. 

Harry said brightly, “There you go, Mr Dhir! And you don’t even need a plaster.” He patted Dhir’s hand and smiled up at the man, who seemed too astonished to speak. 

Sheshdhar cleared his throat and said, “Harry, that was… I don’t even have words to describe it. However did you learn…” His thoughts kept escaping before he could fully form sentences. 

“Miss Yay-yay taught me when we were in Thailand,” Harry explained. “I thought I said that yesterday? A snake is still a snake, even if you can talk to it.”

“My sweet son, all you said after that was to always be kind,” Xenophilius gently reminded him. 

“Oh,” Harry said thoughtfully. “Well, yeah. Always be kind, or you might get bit. And if you get bit, you’d best know how to fix it.”

Pandora pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at his simple, child-like explanation. Luna simply took Harry’s hand and smiled at him. “That sounds like very good advice, Harry. Miss Yay-yay was a very good teacher.” Harry nodded emphatically at his angel’s words.

* * *

Xenophilius and Pandora spent some time explaining to Sheshdhar and Dhir why they weren’t willing to allow the reporters to know about Harry’s healing abilities, but did give them Apinya’s contact information in Thailand. “She herself is not a Parselmouth,” Pandora said, “But her great-grandmother does not speak any English. Yay-yay has tried for years to teach people to read Parseltongue; perhaps since you are more familiar with snakes, you might have more success?”

“Parseltongue has a _script?”_ Sheshdhar said incredulously, amazed at this new information. 

“Oh yes,” Xenophilius replied. “Yay-yay sent Harry home with scroll upon scroll of Parselmagic. He _is_ only seven years old, however. Yay-yay will be able to teach you much more than Harry could, even if you cannot learn the language.”

By this time, they had explored all four towers and were back in the main room of the Sapa Sanraksana. Harry looked around and said, “I think my friends will be happy here. I did wonder if I could make a recording for the milking room, though. Maybe tell the snakes that if they bite the latex on the flask, they’ll get a nice juicy rat? Then you could play it for them, and they wouldn’t try to bite people anymore.”

“That’s a good idea, Harry,” Luna said serenely as the herpetologists all stood, utterly flabbergasted. “Maybe they could set up two flasks, and you could say, ‘If you want a rat, bite the latex on the left. If you want a lizard, bite the latex on the right.’ That way they have a choice.”

“Oh, thank you angel! That’s an even better idea!” he said excitedly. The children turned to the adults with hopeful looks and Harry asked, “Would I be allowed to do that, Mr Sheshdhar? Please?”

Sheshdhar looked at him and laughed slightly. _“Allowed,_ young one? We would be most grateful if you would be willing to do so!” he replied. The small boy had just made the most dangerous part of their research much safer. The Sapa Sanraksana would forever be in this child’s debt.

* * *

**14 April 1988**

Thursday dawned bright and clear, as if the weather itself was ready for the New Year’s celebration. Zaryab Chakladar, the owner of the hotel, had come to personally escort the Lovegoods to the Pahela Baishakh festival. 

“Shubho Nabobarsho!” he said loudly when he greeted the family with a wide smile. 

“Shubho Nabobarsho,” the children excitedly cried in response. “Happy New Year, Mr Chakladar,” they added, bouncing around happily. “Mr Sahir told us all about the different activities today! We want to ride the elephants,” Luna informed the man. 

“Ride the elephants?” the man asked in surprise. “I am sorry, children, but siblings are not allowed to participate in Yadu Bibaha. Your parents may do so, but brothers and sisters may not.”

“We’re not siblings,” Harry said, confused as to why they wouldn’t be allowed. 

“We’re just best friends,” Luna added, grasping hold of Harry’s hand. 

Zaryab looked over to where Sahir was speaking with the children’s parents. He spoke quickly with the other man in Bangla, who replied in kind, shrugged, then nodded. The hotel owner looked back towards the children and said, “If your parents approve, then you may ride the elephants, young ones,” he said with a smile. Seeing that Pandora was engrossed in her conversation with Sahir, the man motioned for Xenophilius to join them. 

“Mr Lovegood, Xeno,” he changed his address with a smile before the blonde man could correct him. “The young ones would like to ‘ride the elephant,’ as they say. You are aware that this is the Yadu Bibaha ceremony, yes?”

“Of course, of course,” Xenophilius replied, waving his hand in agreement. “Sahir explained everything. My love and I will be riding the elephants as well. I understand that part of the ceremony includes specific clothing?”

“You are correct. We can get them on our way,” Zaryab informed them. Just then, Pandora made her way to them, attempting to corral the hyper children. Zaryab stepped closer to Sahib and said quietly in Bangla, “I thought the English still did those ridiculous betrothals?”

Sahir shrugged once again and replied in kind, “These Gora are different, Mr Chakladar. Much more open minded. If they wish for their children to ride the elephants instead, who are we to say no? There will be many Bengali children there today, along with those reaffirming Yadu Bibaha,” he pointed out.

“Indeed,” his boss replied. “Indeed.”

* * *

Soon, Xenophilius and Harry were both wearing long white tunics with intricate golden embroidery called Panjabi, and flowing white trousers called Dhoti. They each had a beautiful red scarf called a Jor draped around their shoulders, decorated with still more golden embroidery, and white Topors for each of their heads. 

Pandora and Luna were in matching red Banarasi sarees, covered in golden brocade and embroidery. When the white Mukuts were brought out for the pair, Luna exclaimed, “I look like the princess from my storybook, Mummy!” as it was placed upon her head. The women who had been helping them laughed at her delight. 

They were given many pieces of gold jewelry, but were cautioned that these were only conjured adornments. The clothing they had purchased was theirs to keep, but the jewelry would disappear after the ceremony. Pandora marveled at the spellwork involved, and briefly wished Harry’s studies had progressed to the fabled Parseltongue permanence charm. Several of the pieces were quite lovely. 

Once properly outfitted for Yadu Bibaha, Zaryab took the Lovegoods to the area where the ceremony would begin. 

Four rows of painted elephants were lined up, all draped with beautiful silk cloths and jewelry, a carriage mounted on each of their backs. 

“The carriages are equipped with featherlight charms,” Zaryab explained when Xenophilius expressed his concern, “But elephants are very strong. It is not particularly needed, however these elephants are quite spoiled,” he said fondly, gazing at the beautiful animals. 

Harry and Luna marveled at the geometric and floral patterns that had been painted onto the elephants’ skin in a multitude of bright colours. The silk drapes, which Zaryab had told them were called jhools, came in a variety of colours and patterns, and were lavishly embellished with embroidery and jewels. Their head plates were made up of many pieces of gold, and even their tusks were decorated with gold and jewels. 

Soon, the family was ushered to a staircase that had been set up for the people participating in Yadu Bibaha to climb into the Haodas; Zaryab had explained this was the Bengali name of the carriages atop the elephants. Harry and Luna were sat in the front seat, with Xenophilius and Pandora on the bench behind. 

“This is where I must leave you,” Zaryab told the family. “Your mahout will take you from here. I shall be waiting at the end of the parade. Tomara biyete abhinandana!” 

“Thank you, Mr Chakladar!” the children chorused, having no idea what the man had just said, but his joy was infectious nonetheless. They smiled and waved happily as he climbed down the staircase and took his leave. Looking around, they saw many other people sitting in Haodas, each dressed very similarly to the Lovegoods. Most of the pairs on each bench were adults, but many were children who seemed to be around their age or a little older. Luna waved happily at the other young children, and Harry joined in when the waves were returned. Everyone seemed to be excited about riding the elephants. 

Once the procession started, men on flying carpets swooped around taking photographs of the riders. “See, my son and moon? This is one of the reasons why flying carpets are so useful! It isn’t as safe for photographers to to fly on brooms; they can lose control!” Xenophilius commented, smiling brightly as one of the men flew closer for a better shot. 

People on the sidelines cheered, waved, and threw flowers at the participants. “I do wish we knew what they were saying,” Pandora said. “They seem so happy to see the elephants!”

“They wish blessings for Yadu Bibaha,” the mahout told them in heavily accented English. He was sat just behind the head of the elephant, directing the animal on where to go. “You say ‘ride the elephant’ in English, yes? It is uncommon for Gora to ride. The people are happy you are participating,” he explained. 

After a short time, the procession stopped. An elderly Bengali woman with flowing white hair was stood in the middle of the road, wearing a white saree with red trim and carrying a wooden staff that had been carved to look like a procession of elephants. She raised her arms to the sky, and silence descended upon the crowd. With the aid of a Sonorous charm, she spoke for quite some time in Bangla, until finally a golden mist descended upon the participants of Yadu Bibaha. A loud cheer rose from everyone watching, including the mahouts. Noticing the other couples embracing in their Haodas, Harry turned to Luna to wrap her in a tight hug. Behind them, Xenophilius and Pandora embraced as well.

* * *

Far away in England, deep underneath London in the bowels of the Ministry building, a lilac coloured paper aeroplane flew into Broderick Bode’s office in the Department of Mysteries. Noticing the seal, Broderick quickly opened the parchment to find out just what information the Feeler had brought that day. 

After quickly scanning the contents, Broderick stopped and went back to the beginning, his brain unable to process what he had just read. The information refused to change. The tall man leapt to his feet, still clutching the purple parchment, and rushed out of the room. 

The hurried sounds of his shoes repeatedly striking the black marble floor could be heard echoing through the Department as he ran down the empty corridor towards Saul Croaker’s office. Bursting into the man’s office without knocking, and completely startling both Saul and Augustus Rookwood, who had been discussing upcoming projects, Broderick said breathlessly, “Boss! Potter Feeler came back—Department of Records—don’t know what—” 

“Great Merlin, man! Sit down, take a breath, and explain what exactly is going on!” Saul said irritably. 

Broderick all but collapsed into the chair next to Augustus. He took several deep breaths and finally said, “One of the Potter Feelers came back. It’s from the Department of Records. You need to read this, Saul, _now.”_

Saul took the parchment from his employee and, just like Broderick, had to read it twice. “Merlin’s bollocks! What in the bloody hell are they _doing_ over there?” he raged, tossing the memo towards Augustus for the other man to read. 

He began to pace behind his desk. “Grab your go-bags. The three of us are going to Bangladesh as soon as I can arrange a Portkey. You have twenty minutes to make whatever arrangements you need. _Go!”_

* * *

While the Lovegoods were being served a delicious lunch with the other Yadu Bibaha couples in the large pavilion situated at the center of the village, three cloaked men arrived in the Department of Mysteries of the Bengali Ministry of Magic. Although Unspeakables were given much leeway regarding the crossing of international borders, it didn’t seem to appear to have mattered; discounting the Jadu Pulisa, the Ministry was staffed by one unlucky person from each department that had been deemed too necessary to simply close for the day. The lone Bengali Unspeakable missing Pahela Baishakh escorted the trio out of the building and gave them directions to Dorakata Bagha. 

Saul, Augustus, and Broderick quickly made their way to the hotel. They explained who they were in relation to the Lovegoods to Sahir, who happily booked them into rooms near the family. The hotel manager was quite surprised, however, when Saul requested an empty room suitable for containment, or at least able to be heavily warded. 

“Pandora has an… affinity for fire,” Broderick explained. “We didn’t come all the way here because we had good news, you see. We need a place to contain Pan while she works through it. That’s why we’ll need to ward the room; we don’t want to damage the hotel, but this information really cannot wait.”

Sahir was surprised to hear that the gentle woman had such an unusual ability, but showed them to an unused storage room nonetheless. Broderick and Augustus set to warding the room immediately while Saul thanked the man. Soon the trio were settled in the lobby, waiting for the Lovegoods to return.

* * *

“Uncle Saul, Uncle Saul!” Harry and Luna cried, catching sight of the man as soon as the Lovegoods entered Dorakata Bagha. Saul stooped to hug them both, then pulled some ice mice out of his pocket and handed them the sweeties. The Unspeakables were not the only ones to notice how Pandora had paled upon seeing them; Sahir came around from behind the desk to explain that a special meeting room had been set up, and that he would keep the children occupied whilst the adults had a chat. 

Once ensconced in the warded room, Saul addressed worried couple. “One of the Potter Feelers came to Auggie this morning—”

Xenophilius stopped him by holding up his hand. “Potter Feelers?” he queried. “What are Potter Feelers?”

“Feelers are something Auggie and I developed, darling,” Pandora replied. “They’re actually based off of Wrackspurts; small, nearly invisible devices that the Department sends out to ‘feel’ for information regarding whatever subject they’ve been spelled to find. They generally cause enough confusion to allow a copy of the information to be sent to the Department, but with certain topics, such as Harry’s name, we’ve spelled them to remove all traces of the information other than what is redirected to us.”

Xenophilius processed this, then said, “That’s quite clever, my love. Your brilliance astounds, as always. Yours too, Auggie.” The Unspeakable dipped his head in acknowledgment, then Xenophilius turned to Saul and said, “My apologies. Please, do continue.”

Saul sighed. “The one that came back was from the Department of Records.”

Xenophilius and Pandora exchanged confused glances. “And?” Pandora asked. 

Saul looked from one Lovegood to the other. “I don’t understand. You mean you _knew_ the children were participating in Yadu Bibaha?” he said, surprised. 

“Of course,” Xenophilius replied, even more confused by this point. “The children wanted to ride the elephants. My love and I participated as well.”

“And you both know what it means to participate in Yadu Bibaha,” Saul asked sceptically. 

Pandora threw her hands into the air. “It means to ride the bloody elephants, Saul! What are you on about? For Merlin’s sake, get to the point!”

Broderick and Augustus wisely held their snickers; as entertaining as it was to see their friend yell at their boss, now was not the time. 

“Pan, Xeno,” Saul said softly. “‘Ride the elephant’ is a… a colloquialism, a local term, if you will. Did anyone actually explain to either of you what the _literal_ translation of Yadu Bibaha is?”

* * *

Harry and Luna were seated in the lobby, learning to play carrom with Sahir. They were progressing nicely, Luna having just pocketed the queen to much fanfare from Harry and Sahir. The three players looked up when they heard a woman’s voice shouting from another room. 

_“What do you MEAN they’re bloody MARRIED!?”_

Harry and Luna looked at each other, shrugged, then went back to their game. Sahir looked around nervously, then stepped away to send a message to Zaryab Chakladar. Surely the hotel owner would want to know what was going on.

* * *

Finally, after some time had passed, Pandora was able to calm down and the room was set back to rights. Zaryab and Sahir both explained that they thought the Lovegoods knew what it meant to ride the elephants, as the phrase was so synonymous with magical marriage in Bangladesh that it was easy to forget the term did not mean the same thing in English. Zaryab further expressed his regret that the bonding was irreversible; after all, one cannot un-ride an elephant. 

Arrangements were made for the family to return to England the following day, cutting their trip short by a mere twenty-four hours. The three Unspeakables joined the Lovegoods for dinner that evening, heading back out into Yadu Sahara as the Pahela Baishakh celebrations were still going on. They ate at one of the many food vendors whose carts lined the street, and spent some time looking through the multitude of shops, as well. Augustus earned one of Pandora’s stinging hexes to his bum for buying each of the children a plush elephant that trumpeted and was spelled to say, “Biyete abhinandana! Congratulations on your marriage!”

* * *

**15 April 1988**

Once back in the British Department of Mysteries, whilst Xenophilius and Pandora read the memos the Feelers had returned, Harry and Luna were excitedly telling Hortensia Rackharrow all about their trip. 

“…and Harry knew the snakes were being hurt, so he…”

“…and my angel helped me save the cobras that…”

“…and we got to eat dinner sitting on the _floor_ and using our _fingers…”_

“…and the conservatory was quite nice, I think my snakes will really…”

“…and we got to ride the elephants…”

“ Auntie Tensie, my angel was so beautiful in her elephant robes! And Mummy was, too!” Harry finished his part of the story, loyal as always to his angel and his Mummy. 

“Uncle Saul and his lot came to visit us, too, Auntie Tensie!” Luna informed the laughing woman. “They made Mummy angry about something, but I think it’s all been worked out because after we went to dinner she only hexed Mr Rookwood one time and nobody else. Although now we’re back in England and we haven’t gone home yet, so maybe she needs to hex some more people…” Luna trailed off in thought, considering the likelihood of more hexing while Hortensia laughed.

* * *

They were engrossed in an elaborate game of hide and seek in the Space Room when Pandora finally emerged from the Department’s containment room. Harry and Luna were declared the winners, as each had hidden in the other’s pocket. Broderick demanded to be shown exactly how’d they’d managed it, to which Augustus laughingly replied, “They’re Department children, playing in the room we use to research dimensional rifts and extension charms. It’s magic, Broderick.”

Once the Lovegoods had gathered with Saul in his office, Pandora gently explained the situation to the children. 

“My darlings, something has happened that we did not intend. I want you to know that no one is angry with you, and no one blames you, either. Do you understand?” she said to the two worried faces staring up at her. 

“Of course, Mummy. We know that you sometimes get angry, but never at Harry and never at Luna. You only get distapointed with us,” Luna said matter-of-factly.

“When have I gotten _disappointed_ with you?” Pandora asked in surprise, gently correcting her daughter’s pronunciation. 

“When we bring adders into the house, or get lost in Thailand, or track mud everywhere…” Harry began listing off and counting on his fingers, causing snickers from Saul and Xenophilius to be heard. 

“Yes, well,” Pandora said as she flushed. “It seems that Yadu Bibaha meant something more than just riding the elephants, my darlings. It is actually a marriage ceremony, you see. Your father and I had our marriage bond reaffirmed when we participated, but you two…” she paused and took a deep breath. “You two are now married.”

“That’s okay, Mummy,” Luna said immediately. “I already love Harry, and he loves me. Right, Harry?” she asked, turning to her best friend, now husband. She was shocked to see him panting, his face pale; he was beginning to panic. “Harry?” she asked again. “Are you alright? Do.. do you not love me?” Luna was beginning to panic now, as well. 

“But… but… if we’re married, then Mummy and Daddy can’t be my Mummy and Daddy anymore, angel,” Harry replied, tears in his eyes. “Of course I love you, but I love _all_ of you, and I don’t want to not… to not be…”

Pandora scooped both children into her arms and pulled then onto her lap. “Harry darling, of _course_ you are still our son! Nothing will change, other than instead of being best friends, you and Little Moon will be husband and wife.”

“Really?” Harry asked, sniffling. He wiped his nose with his sleeve, making Pandora wince slightly at the sight. 

“Yes, my darling. Daddy and I love you very, very much. You will _always_ be ours, forever and for always, no matter what, remember?”

“I remember,” he said softly. 

“Come here, my sweet son,” Xenophilius said, taking Harry from his wife and cuddling him onto his lap. “Your Mummy is correct; we love you just as much as we love our sweet moon. The only difference is that now you’re our son-in-law, instead of our adopted son. Much better, if you ask me. More official, even.”

Harry worried his fingers into the buttonholes of Xenophilius’ robes. “What did you call Mummy’s parents, Daddy? Only, if I’m your son-in-law, I should call you by son-in-law names, not son names, I think.”

Xenophilius smiled at this, and said, “I called Mummy’s parents Mum and Dad, my sweet son. But you are welcome to still call us Mummy and Daddy, for as long as you like.”

“Okay, Daddy,” Harry said quietly. “Thank you.”

Xenophilius and Pandora cuddled their children for a few moments, then Pandora said, “The reason Uncle Saul came to Bangladesh wasn’t just to tell us you’d been married, children. You see, marriages are automatically recorded here in the Department of Records for all British citizens. And there are certain things that happen if the celebrants are underage. Harry darling, you’ve been emancipated. This means that, in the eyes of the law, you are an adult.”

Harry and Luna looked at each other with wide eyes. “I suppose I can get a job at the Sapa Sanraksana…” Harry said hesitantly, making his parents chuckle. 

“My sweet son, we aren’t turning you out!” Xenophilius insisted. “You are staying right here with us, understand?”

“Yes Daddy, forever and for always, no matter what,” Harry mumbled, turning his somewhat red face into his father’s robes. 

“The Ministry, in all of its… _wisdom,”_ Pandora continued, making it clear she did not agree with her own words, “has also given the guardianship of Little Moon to you, Harry darling.”

Harry’s brows drew together in confusion. “I don’t think I know what that means, Mummy,” he admitted. 

Xenophilius sighed. “When we found you, we were given ‘guardianship’ over you, my sweet son. That means that we shall always take care of you, look after you, protect you, keep you safe, and love you.” Harry nodded in understanding, so Xenophilius went on. “Now that the Ministry sees you as an adult, and as our sweet moon’s husband, you have been given guardianship over her.”

“But… but I already look after her and protect her and love her, Daddy…”

“This just a silly thing that concerns the law more than what actually happens, Harry darling,” Pandora interjected. “We just need you to sign your name to some parchment a few times, simply to keep things official,” she explained. 

Harry looked at his angel, who smiled at him. Shrugging, he said, “Alright, Mummy.” His eyes widened when he saw the size of the stack of parchment that Uncle Saul pushed forward.

* * *

Once complete, Broderick whisked the parchments off to be properly recorded and filed, making sure that the notice-me-not charms were working. No one outside of the Department would notice anything to do with young Harry James Potter and his equally young wife.

“My suggestion would be to not mention it to anyone other than family or in the Department,” Augustus offered. “Don’t lie about it, though. If it comes back on you, it would be best if you can honestly say you've never lied about their situation.”

“I agree,” Saul added. “As before, simply introduce them as your children, Harry and Luna. You don’t have to offer their last names.”

“We’ll need to change our wills,” Xenophilius told Pandora with a sigh. “Harry will have to be the heir, now. And Garrick will need to be informed; Luna is his heir, as well. If nothing else, Harry will be heir presumptive to House Ollivander.”

“Uncle Garrick!” Pandora exclaimed. “Harry can get his wand! Luna too, if we maybe fudge a bit…” she trailed off, her brilliant mind working multiple steps ahead of her words, already planning the children’s new academic schedules in her head. “Let’s stop by his shop on our way home, Xeno. They can start with simple charms in the morning.”

* * *

Pandora led her family into a narrow and shabby shop, full of shelves containing dusty boxes, and one lone chair. A man appeared from the depths of the shop before the tinkling bell over the door had stopped ringing. 

“Pandora! I wasn’t expecting to see you today, my dear,” said the man, his wide, silvery eyes shining with delight. 

“Uncle Garrick,” Pandora replied. “I apologise for the unexpected visit, but we are in need of new wands.”

“Oh?” Garrick Ollivander questioned. “Burned through another one, then, have you?”

Pandora flushed slightly, making Xenophilius snicker. “No, not for me, Uncle,” she replied softly. “For Luna and Harry.”

The elderly man turned his lamp-like eyes towards the children. “Pandora, you know I cannot match wands to underage wizards…”

Pandora handed him a stack of parchment. “Harry is emancipated. They’re married. He has guardianship of Luna, and wishes her to get her wand as well.”

“Pandora, I… the law says they have to be eleven…”

“The _law,”_ Pandora hissed, “Emancipated a seven year old boy and gave him guardianship of my _daughter._ You _will_ match them with wands, Uncle Garrick. Harry is an adult in the eyes of the law.”

“I… very well, my dear. With whom shall we start?”

Luna let go of Harry’s hand and stepped forward. “With me, Uncle Garrick,” she said happily. “I’ll need a slightly springy wand of silver lime, with a core of unicorn hair, please.”

“Oh yes?” Garrick asked, amused. “And how long do you think this wand should be, my littlest niece?”

Luna frowned slightly, then replied, “I’m not sure, Uncle. I’m sorry; that was all I Saw.”

Garrick raised his white brows nearly to his hairline as he turned to look at Pandora, who simply shrugged and said, “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”

“I see,” he said softly. “Well, which is your wand arm, my dear?” Garrick asked Luna. She held up her right arm, and was measured from shoulder to finger, wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, round her head, and finally between between her nostrils. Harry giggled when Luna sneezed once the measuring tape had finished. 

Garrick walked down the aisle, gathering several boxes, and said, “Your Mummy has had several wands, did you know, my dear? She keeps burning them right up.” He shook his head in exasperation. “She’s had wands of cypress, ebony, hornbeam—that was a very nice one if I do say so myself—sycamore… right now she has a nine and three quarter inch wand of red oak, quite bendy, good for creating spells. Your Daddy, on the other hand, favors a longer wand. Eleven and one quarter inch, chestnut, very solid. Good for those with an affinity for magical creatures as well as herbology. I say favored… the wand chooses the wizard, of course. Yet you say you need… here. Try this one, my dear.” He returned with several boxes and piled them on the spindly looking chair, opening one box and handing the wand to Luna. “Go on, now, give it a wave.”

Luna reverently took the wand from his hand and waved it through the air. Nothing happened. 

“Nope, not that one,” Garrick said, taking it out of her hand. “Not even a spark.” He sighed, then added, “Let’s try your silver lime, eh? This one is twelve inches, and yes, yes, a unicorn hair core.”

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man before Luna took the wand from him again. He did not enjoy his angel having been tricked into trying the wrong wand. This time, however, when she waved the wand a large gust of wind blew through the shop, knocking several boxes off their shelves. 

Garrick plucked the wand out of Luna’s hand and said, “Too long, too swishy. Try this one; nine and one half inches, slightly springy. Give it a wave, my dear.”

The look on Luna’s face as she waved the wand told everyone she had found her match, even if the bronze sparks that flickered through air hadn’t already done so. “Harry! I’ve found my wand!” Luna cried excitedly, jumping up and down in joy. The children immediately hugged each other tightly, laughing the entire time, their parents clapping proudly behind them. 

“Alright then, Mr Potter. It’s your turn now,” Garrick said, returning the family’s attention to the matter at hand. “I don’t suppose you know what kind of wand you will be matched with, do you?”

“Er, no sir, I don’t. I’m sorry,” Harry said apologetically. “Angel?” he asked Luna. “Have you Seen what I needed?”

“No Harry, I haven’t. I Saw my wand before we found you, and haven’t seen anything about wands since. Although I do think you would match well with a cedar wand,” she replied. 

Garrick raised his brows once more, and Xenophilius offered, “My sweet moon has read several books on wand lore, Uncle Garrick. They were in with the books on family magic.”

“Interesting,” the older man replied, then asked Harry to step forward to be measured. Once the measuring tape set to work, Garrick began to gather boxes from his shelves. Luna was laughing at the faces Harry was making as the tape measured between his nostrils when her uncle returned from the aisles. 

“Your mother had a willow wand, child. Ten and one quarter inch, swishy, good for charms. You have her eyes, you know,” he said. “Your father’s was mahogany, eleven inches, pliable. James’ wand was slightly more powerful than Lily’s, good for transfigurations. You have the look of him, as well.”

“My parents are right here, sir,” Harry replied quietly, yet firmly. “My mother’s wand is cypress, and my father’s is chestnut. But thank you for telling me about Lily and James.”

White brows met white hair yet again. “Clearly we need to keep in closer touch, Pandora,” he said reproachfully, and the woman smirked as she nodded her affirmation. 

Harry was put to work, trying wand after wand. None had any sort of response, and he began to feel foolish as he seemed to be simply waving sticks about. He looked at Luna in concern, worry etched onto his face. 

“You’ll be matched, Harry. Don’t forget you have a great gift; you’re meant to be here, you’re meant to have a wand. Don’t worry so much,” she said, squeezing his hand once Garrick had removed the most recent wand. 

Harry hugged her tightly and whispered, “Thank you, angel,” in her ear. 

“Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we’ll find your match,” Garrick said. “I wonder, now… yes, why not… unusual combination… holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple.”

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light onto the walls. Xenophilius whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, “Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…”

“Sorry,” said Harry, “but _what’s_ curious?”

Garrick fixed Harry with his pale stare. “I remember every wand I’ve ever sold, Mr Potter. It just so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather… just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother… why, its brother gave you that scar.”

Harry swallowed. Xenophilius said, “Nooo…” in a horrified tone of voice. Pandora, however, was incensed. 

_“How dare you, Uncle!”_ she hissed at the man. “Not only for giving him that wand, but _telling_ him about it like that? No. No! I refuse to allow it. Find him another wand, Uncle Garrick, _now!”_

“Pandora,” Garrick replied, hands raised and palms out in a placating manner. “The wand chooses the wizard, you _know_ this! He won’t find a better match while that wand exists—”

_“I don’t bloody care—”_ Pandora was starting to yell, when Luna calmly reached out, slipped the wand from Harry’s hand, and snapped it in two. 

“Uncle Garrick, there seems to have been an accident of sorts with Harry’s wand. Perhaps you could match him with another?”

Her mother and her great-great-uncle turned to see the tiny girl holding the two broken pieces of the holly and phoenix feather wand. Xenophilius started laughing when his daughter said brightly, “At least now there won’t be a problem finding a new wand, since Harry’s match doesn’t exist anymore.”

* * *

As the Lovegoods escorted the two excited children through Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron, both were chattering happily and clutching their new wands. Luna’s was made of silver lime with a unicorn hair core, nine and one half inches, slightly springy. Harry’s was a reasonably supple cedar wand, ten and three quarters inches, with a dragon heartstring core. It was brother to none. 


End file.
